


Thanks for the memories

by Xenobia



Series: The "Alliance" universe [1]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: BDSM, M/M, Multi, Multiple Partners, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-04-22
Updated: 2009-04-22
Packaged: 2017-11-11 03:53:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 23
Words: 138,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/474220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xenobia/pseuds/Xenobia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The beginning of the "Alliance" series.  A fanfiction dedicated to my favorite redheaded Turk, Reno. It tells the events of the games and movies from his and his work associates' perspective.  This is an older work that I intend to eventually do some back-writing on, to clean up the style and make it flow better.  Yaoi, multiple partners, trigger warning for a non-con scene in earlier chapters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Thanks for the Memories”

A Reno fanfiction

Chapter 1: “I was a teenaged criminal”

~*******************************************~

*Disclaimer:  Final Fantasy and all characters therein belong to Square-Enix.  This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can’t get enough of this world and the characters.* 

~***********************************************~

 

 

            _I grew up in the slums of Midgar.  I know, poor me, right?  Don’t pity me too much, yo.  I’ve got it pretty good now.  In those days it was different, though.  My old man was a construction worker and he died in an accident on the work site when I was eight.  Ma never had a good education and she struggled to keep a roof over our heads and food in our stomachs after that.  She did everything she could to make sure I stayed in school and had some kind of quality of life, but it was real tough on her.  There ain’t a lot of places in Midgar rushing to hire a housewife that can barely read, so Ma earned her money cleaning houses for people that were better off than us._

_We went without electricity or running water a lot of the time and I eventually started stealing from stores and pick-pocketing people to help make ends meet.  I always lied to Ma and told her the food I brought home was from charity.  When I brought home money to help pay the bills, I always made stuff up, like I earned it washing people’s cars, or running errands, or busing tables at the local bar.  It wasn’t always a lie but the truth was, it paid more to shoplift or snag some poor sap’s wallet than any of that other stuff ever did, yo._

_One time I admitted I won some money gambling with other kids and boy, was that ever a mistake.  Ma was so upset she took me over her knee and then made me give back every penny to the kids I won it from.  After that, I was real careful to keep her thinking I was on the straight and narrow.  What the hell else could I have done?  She was working her ass off and she wasn’t making enough on her own to keep up the rent, keep us clothed and fed and pay the utility bills._

_I finally got caught one day when I was ten and they called Ma up and told her I’d shoplifted.  I thought for sure she was gonna blister my ass.  You know what she did when she picked me up at the police station?  She hugged me and kept saying she was sorry, over and over again.  She blamed herself, see.  When we got home, she made me swear I’d stop stealing to help out, concentrate on school and let her worry about the bills._

_I love my Ma.  I couldn’t say no and believe it or not, I kept my word.  I started learning how to fight at an early age, ‘cause the bigger kids liked to pick on the scrawny runts like me.  Other than a few scuffles here and there I stayed out of trouble for a few years after that, yo.  I got really interested in machinery and I started studying it obsessively.  Turns out I’ve got a knack for mechanics.  I got pretty good at fixing appliances around the house, but airships and helicopters were my favorite things to read about._

_It was hard and all, but when I was twelve she started seeing this guy named Nick and eventually let him move in with us, it got a whole lot harder.  Oh sure, he helped out with the finances and we hardly ever went without a utility after he moved in, but by the time I was fourteen years old, he’d gone from being overbearing and mean to outright fucking abusive.  He started smacking Ma around and when he started smacking ME around, she had enough and tried to take me and leave.  I don’t know what he said to her but I’m pretty damn sure he got her convinced that leaving him would be the last thing she ever did._

~************************************~

 

            Reno sniffed and examined his reflection in the cracked bathroom mirror, pulling his long, auburn bangs out of his eyes.  His nose was still bleeding, though not as bad now as it had been a few minutes ago.  It was hard for him to see through his left eye, which was almost swollen shut. 

 

            “Bastard,” the redhead muttered as he stuffed a piece of rolled toilet paper up each nostril.  He and Nick had gotten into it as soon as Reno came home from school.  He should have known better than to mouth off to the butcher by now; the man was more than twice Reno’s size and he’d already beaten him a couple of times before.  He was just glad he had strong, healthy teeth or he’d probably have some gaps in his smile by now from being hit in the face and jaw.

 

            _~If I had any balls, I’d fight back.  I just don’t know what he’d do to Ma if I did.  Can’t trust the police to do anything about it, either.  They don’t pay attention to what people do in the slums unless they catch us stealing from someone important.  What the hell am I gonna tell Ma?  She’ll argue with him if she knows he did this and he’ll just beat her for it!~_

           No, he couldn’t tell his mother.  As terrified as she was of her boyfriend she’d always stood up to him when he laid hands on Reno—which always resulted in her getting smacked around too.  He figured he could just tell her he got into another fight at school.  She’d never actually seen him fight so she’d probably buy it.  Like his mother, Reno had a slim frame and a lot of bullies made the mistake of thinking he would be easy to push around because of that.

 

            He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, wincing in pain.  He dropped the lid on the toilet and sat down, waiting for the bleeding to stop. 

 

            _~One of these days, things are gonna change,~_ he swore to himself, _~I’ll make enough money to set Ma up with a good house and she’ll never have to work again or worry about abusive fuckers smacking her around.~_

            He told himself he believed that…told himself it was going to happen eventually.  Unfortunately for Reno Flynn, it seemed less likely with each passing day that his goals would come true.  Poverty was a vicious cycle that most people never broke out of.

 

~*****************************************~

 

            “Reno, your face!”

 

            As soon as his mother came through the door and saw his black eye, she dropped her purse on the floor and hurried across the small living room to him and cupped his face.  He winced when she gently touched his black eye.

 

            “It’s okay, Ma.  Don’t get worked up, okay?”  He forced a little smile and kissed her on the cheek.

 

            “What happened?” She demanded as she stroked his face.

 

            Reno forced himself not to look at Nick, who was sitting on the worn armchair in the corner of the living room, watching the television.  “I just got into a fight after school, that’s all.”

 

            She sighed and shook her auburn head.  “Oh, Reno…again?  What started it this time?”

 

            “I keep telling the kid to watch that mouth of his,” Nick interrupted, “he never listens though, does he?  Gets him in trouble all the time, Lena.”

 

            She looked at her boyfriend with a mixture of fear and suspicion, then turned back to Reno again.  “Honey, is that true?  Did you provoke someone at school?”

 

            Reno swallowed the angry words on the tip of his tongue as he looked at Nick, who was staring at him with a smug warning in his brown eyes.  It was bitter medicine but the redhead knew what would happen if he didn’t go along with it.  “Yeah, Ma.  I shoulda’ just walked away but you know my temper, yo.  I couldn’t resist tossing an insult out.”

 

            Lena gently combed her son’s unruly bangs out of his eyes and shook her head.  “Well, what’s done is done.  I want you to put a steak on that eye to bring the swelling down.”

 

            “I’m not letting him put good meat on his damn face,” Nick growled, “let him use ice or something.”

 

            Lena closed her eyes and nodded, knowing better than to argue with him.  She put her arm around Reno’s waist and guided him into the kitchen.  “I’ll make you a cold compress and you hold it on there for at least fifteen minutes, young man.  Is that understood?”

 

            “Yes Ma,” answered Reno amicably. 

 

~*******************************************~

 

            The next weekend, Reno was hanging out in the ally with some friends when he found a pipe laying in the road.  He picked it up and studied it, weighing it in his hands.  It was heavy but felt surprisingly balanced in his hand.

 

            “What are you gonna do with that?” Jamie asked him as he swung the pipe experimentally.

 

            Reno shrugged, keeping his sea-green eyes on the metal object as he whirled and swung it in a diagonal arch.  “Practice,” he said with an inspired little smile. 

 

            “You’re getting kinda scary, man,” Lee said as he backed away from the redhead’s increasingly stronger swings. 

 

            “Sometimes you’ve gotta be scary to make it in life,” Reno grunted, kicking out at an invisible opponent while simultaneously slashing the pipe. 

 

            His friends looked at each other and shrugged.  They knew Reno had problems in the home and they were pretty sure his mom’s boyfriend had given him the black eye that was finally fading.  It wasn’t surprising to either of them that he was practicing his street fighting skills more and more and getting better with each day.

 

~**************************~

 

            “Yo, check it out.” 

 

            Reno showed his buddies the new moves he’d taught himself with the pipe he’d found last week.  They made amazed exclamations as he twirled the object deftly, flourishing it with the skill of a martial artist.  He spun, kicked, swung and brandished the pipe for a few minutes, working up a minor sweat.

 

            “That was cool, Reno!” Lee said enthusiastically, looking at the redhead with admiration and a little envy in his hazel eyes.  “How’d you learn to do all that stuff?”

 

            “I’ve been watching fighting competitions on the tube and reading up on some things,” he answered with a shrug.  “I just teach myself to do things they do and make a few adjustments.  Got myself pretty good a few times while I was learning, though.”

 

            “You couldn’t get that good just watching that stuff on TV,” Jamie said with certainty.  “Admit it, you’ve been taking lessons somewhere!”

 

            Reno gave him a look.  “With what money?  I’m so broke I can’t pay attention, much less pay some dude to teach me to fight.  My Dad used to be good at streetfighting, so maybe I just get it from him.”

 

            Jamie still looked doubtful.  “Maybe.  Think you could teach us how to do some of that stuff?”

 

            Reno grinned.

 

~********************************~

 

            By the time his fifteenth birthday was just a couple of weeks away, Reno had a small following of other teens his age.  He gave them lessons in self-defense and took any payment they could offer in exchange.  He grades dropped a little because of the amount of time he spent teaching fighting lessons, but he’d always been a bright student so the drop wasn’t significant enough to endanger his chances of graduating.  When he wasn’t instructing or studying, he spent his time reading about helicopters and learning everything he could about them and mechanics.

 

            He was feeling pretty good about himself and starting to think things were going his way until he came home one evening after teaching lessons and heard his mother screaming before he even reached the door.

 

            “Ma!”  Reno dropped his backpack on the stoop and yanked it open, searching for his pipe.  He heard Nick yelling at her, calling her a whore and a bitch while she sobbed and begged for him to stop.  His hand closed around the cool metal of his pipe and he bounded to the door, yanking it open with his free hand and holding his weapon with white-knuckled hands as he lunged inside.

 

            He took in the scene quickly.  His mother was curled up against the corner of the living room wall, nursing her arm—which was hanging at an odd angle.  Her lip was torn and bleeding and there were marks around her throat.  Nick loomed over her with clenched fists, advancing on her threateningly.

 

            Everything seemed too bright and too sharp to Reno as his rage consumed him.  He launched himself through the air in a flying kick, his sneaker connecting solidly with the older man’s back.  Nick was taken by surprise and he fell forward to his hands and knees.  Groaning, he rubbed his back and twisted to look up at his attacker.  Reno stood over him, slapping the pipe against the palm of his other hand.  His lips were pressed into a hard, grim line and his blue-green eyes were narrowed hatefully.

 

            “Get away from my Ma, you asshole.”  He was amazed by how calm he sounded.  He’d always thought that if he walked in on the man beating his mother he’d be yelling at the top of his lungs and striking out at him blindly.  His mind was amazingly clear as Nick stared up at him with surprise.

 

            “Think you’re pretty hot stuff, don’t you kid?” Nick growled after recovering from his initial surprise.  “You think that fucking pipe is going to help you?”  He launched himself at Reno and the redhead rolled aside nimbly and swung out hard with his pipe, cracking it against Nick’s left arm—which was precisely the same arm that his mother was nursing.  The butcher howled in pain and tried to swing his right fist at the teenager, but Reno ducked under the attack and kicked out with his foot, hitting Nick in the solar plexus.

 

            “R-Reno,” Lena called in a shaking voice.

 

            “It’s okay, Ma.  Just stay there,” Reno said without taking his eyes off the gasping butcher.  When Nick tried to struggle to his feet, Reno shoved him back down with his foot.  The redhead crouched in front of the butcher and rested his pipe on one shoulder, ready to use it again if the man gave him the slightest reason.

 

            “Get out of our house,” Reno said in a low, dangerous voice.  “Get out of our house and leave Ma alone.  You don’t touch her, don’t talk to her, don’t get within twenty feet of her and don’t even ever LOOK at her again, got it?”

 

            Nick glared at him.  “I’ll get you for this,” he threatened, “both of you.  You’re dead meat!”

 

            Reno’s eyes dilated in response to the threat to his mother’s life.  He abruptly hit the butcher on the side of the head with the pipe and it made a satisfying “ping” sound.  Lena cried out as her stunned abuser fell back and Reno grabbed hold of the large man’s feet and began to drag him out of the room.

 

            “Reno?  W-what are you doing?” Lena called.

 

            “Stay there, Ma.  I don’t want you to see this.”  Reno continued to drag the groaning man, his adrenaline rush lending him strength.  He grunted with exertion as he dragged Nick down the hall into the bathroom and shut the door.

 

            Lena flinched as she heard the sound of the pipe making contact with Nick’s body again and again and again.  His screams were cut off quickly, presumably because the weapon knocked him unconscious.  She shook with sobs, realizing that her sweet, bright son was murdering a man in their bathroom.  Bewildered with pain, fear and shock, she held her broken arm and cringed against the wall.

 

            When Nick’s skull was smashed beyond recognition, Reno finally stopped slamming the pipe into it and pressed shaking fingers against his neck, checking for a pulse.  Finding none, he lowered his ear to what used to be the man’s nose and mouth and listened, placing a hand on the chest.  No breath stirred his hair, no heartbeat thumped under his hand and the broad chest was utterly still. 

 

Reno staggered to his feet and dropped the pipe to the floor.  He felt wetness on his face and he reached up to wipe at it.  The sticky fluid smeared on his face and when he pulled his hand away, it was red with Nick’s blood.  He hastily wiped his hand off on his pants and swallowed the bile that rose in his throat.  The redhead opened the bathroom door and stumbled out, returning to the little living room where his mother still cringed in the corner.

 

            She looked up at him as he crossed the room and fell to his knees before her.  Her green eyes were wide and her lips were trembling.  She looked like she was afraid of him.  “Ma?” he whispered, reaching out for her.  She didn’t respond.  Reno felt his heart twist in his chest.

 

            “Ma, he…he was gonna kill you.  He said so!  He never would have left you alone and the cops wouldn’t have stopped him.  Ma?”  His vision blurred with tears and he began to tremble.  He’d been forced to take on responsibilities that more fortunate kids his age never had to deal with, but he was after all still just a fourteen year old.  “He’s threatened to kill you before, hasn’t he?”

 

            Lena reached out with her uninjured arm and stroked Reno’s hair.  “My boy,” she whispered, “I know you did what you felt you had to do, Reno.  My sweet, brave boy.”  She drew his head to her shoulder and kept stroking his hair as he cried.  “Reno, we have to call the police and I need a doctor,” she whispered as she kissed the crown of his head.  “I want you to keep being brave.  You were protecting me, but what you did…there’s going to be consequences.”

 

            He nodded and sniffled, reaching up to take her good hand in his.  “I’m sorry, Ma.  I…I had to do it.”

 

            She sighed shakenly and nodded.

 

~**************************************~

 

            _Yup, I had a criminal record before I was even old enough to legally drink a beer, yo.  Since I was a minor and it was ruled as self-defense, they sent me to Juvenile detention.  My sentence was for three years.  Ma came and visited me every Saturday.  She told me she was getting by okay but I noticed she was getting skinny.  I worried about her all the time.  I knew she wasn’t pulling in enough money to eat decently and still pay rent and I wanted to get out of that place as soon as I could, so I could find work and take care of her._

 

  _While I was in Juvie some guys tried to pick on me until they found out I was in there for killing a dude.  I got a couple of hangers-on, mostly guys that got pushed around a lot and figured hanging out with the crazy redhead would give them some protection.  Honestly though, I stayed on my best behavior and you may not believe this but I hardly talked to anyone.  That’s right…the blabbermouth of the Turks was one of the most behaved, quiet inmates at Juvenile detention._

_I did make a couple of friends while I was there but I can’t remember their names now.  One of ‘em made me realize for the first time that I was a flaming homo.  Now, I know most people don’t like to hear details about minors that young so I’ll spare you and just say the guy taught me how to experiment with my methods and perfect my own unique style of kissing.  Oh yeah…he also taught me how to give great head, yo.  Hope that info doesn’t make you blow chunks._

 

            _Like I said, my sentence was for three years but I got out in two and a half because of good behavior.  So let’s see…I went in just before my fifteenth birthday so that made me…seventeen when I got out again.  I never graduated from school but I had plenty of mechanical skills, so when I returned home to Ma I started fixing people’s cars for money.  I saved up as much as I could and by the time I was eighteen I had a big enough customer base and enough cash to open up my own repair shop._

_The problem is in the slums of Midgar, even when you’re doing good for yourself there’s still plenty of bad to go around.  You got your street gangs, you got your crime, you got your slum lords…and you got your medical problems that cost way too much to treat on what you make.  Ma was diagnosed with breast cancer a few months after I got my business going.  No matter how much extra business I brought in, I couldn’t pull in enough gil to pay for her treatment and we had no health insurance.  I tried making myself presentable and applying for a loan from the bank but they said I didn’t have any collateral worth listing and I didn’t have a decent enough income to qualify for it.  I never fucking got that…how can you only qualify for financial help if you can prove you don’t NEED it in the first place?_

_I was at the end of my rope and didn’t know what the hell I was going to do.  As it turned out, one of my buds knew a loan shark, whose car I happened to fix one day.  The dude thought I was cute and my bud told me he’d loan me the money to have Ma taken care of, but in exchange I had to give him sexual favors until I finished paying him back.  I know…fucking sick, isn’t it?  But I would have done just about anything to make Ma healthy again and giving an older guy head now and then or letting him feel me up when he wanted to seemed like a small price to pay when the only other option for me was to let the cancer spread and kill her._

_I took the deal, of course.  Sucked to be me but Ma got her surgery and her treatment, and after a few months she was in remission and getting her strength back.  I didn’t let what I had to do to make that happen get to me, man.  I just took care of Ma, kept practicing my fighting techniques, kept my business going and put as much money each week as I could afford on the loan payment, to get it over with as fast as I could.  I found an arcade that had a REAL flight simulator and I spent a couple of hours every week there, just fooling around on it.  I wanted to fly more than ever, yo.  Nothing like having fantasies of flying away when you’re giving head to a guy you normally wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole because you owe him money._

_I was getting close to my nineteenth birthday the first time I met Rufus Shinra.  Man, that’s a memory I’ll never forget, but I’ll have to tell you all about that sometime later._

~************************************~

 

-To be continued


	2. Chapter 2

“Thanks for the Memories”

A Reno fanfiction

Chapter 2: “Grease monkey”

~*******************************************~

*Disclaimer:  Final Fantasy and all characters therein belong to Square-Enix.  This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can’t get enough of this world and the characters.* 

~***********************************************~

 

 

            _You know what’s ironic?  The better the part of town you go to, the worse the mechanic shops get.  I’m serious man; those guys in the richer sectors and on the plate didn’t know what the hell they were doing.  I was getting business from people all the way up top, yo.  Rich guys that weren’t getting the service they needed from the shops in their own part of the city started coming to me when they had car problems.  I guess the shops in the middle-class areas and up top figured they could do a half-assed job and still charge people whatever they want._

_I was making a decent enough living to start fixing the house up, but not to move to a better location.  I bought a new refrigerator, had the roof fixed and refinished the wood on the stoop.  I gotta tell you, Ma and I had the nicest house in the slums by the time my nineteenth birthday was coming around.  I know that doesn’t sound too exciting but it meant a lot to me, ‘cause Ma deserved to live in something besides a shack, you know?_

_Oh, I almost forgot to mention, I saved up and bought a metal baton.  Not a twirling baton, if that’s what you’re thinkin’—I ain’t a puss!  I mean a fighting baton.  It was one of those collapsible ones and I kept it on me all the time.  I kind of had to, where I lived—people tried to rob my shop three times in the first year of business.  Of course, I ended up in trouble for one of them ‘cause the jackass pulled a gun on my receptionist and I ended up taking it from him and shooting him with it.  How do you like that?  Some fucker tries to rob a shop and holds someone at gunpoint, but the owner gets charged with manslaughter!  That time I didn’t get put away ‘cause there were witnesses to verify it was self-defense; but it still went on my record._

_Other than the little accident and the new notch under my criminal belt, things were going pretty good.  I had a few love interests but all I ever did with them was fool around, because for one, I didn’t have time for more than that and for another, every time I was with any of them I kept thinking of that damned loan shark and the things I had to do with him.  What was his name?  Oh yeah…Bruce.  It kind of kills the mood when you’re getting your crotch rubbed by someone you like and your damned mind keeps going to earlier that day when a guy you’re not attracted to was doing the same thing because you had no choice._

_When my nineteenth birthday was just a few weeks away, I met Rufus ShinRa for the first time and things started to change fast after that, yo._

~*****************************************~

 

            Rufus was in the slums for a reason.  Midgar was his city—or at least, it would be one day when the old man kicked the bucket—and he didn’t like filth.  He was a man who liked order and he wanted to clean up the poor parts of town, so he was conducting some research with Reeve Tuesti on urban development.  While Reeve’s interests lay in helping the poor and improving living conditions, Rufus was a little more focused on improving the structures and making the lower side of town less trashy.  Both goals would lead to the same end so he worked with the older man behind his father’s back. 

 

President ShinRa couldn’t care less about the slums or the people living there.  All he cared about was money and power.  Rufus could appreciate that even though he hated the man, but there was more to commanding respect and fear than tossing gil around.  That was why the Turk organization had become more loyal to Rufus than to his father.  They took orders from the President because it was their job, but they took orders from Rufus because they wanted to.  Tseng in particular was one of the few people Rufus trusted.

 

He turned down one of the streets leading to the business area of the slums and Rufus frowned when his car engine seemed to stutter.  He’d already had the problem looked at by a shop on the plate, refusing to use his father’s company mechanics just out of spite.  Now he wished he’d rethought that as his engine began to struggle to keep running. 

 

_~I seem to recall hearing something about a good shop on this side of town.  What was it, “Flynn’s Auto”?~_

Wanting to avoid leaving his expensive luxury car out in the open where some punks could steal his hubcaps before a tow truck could arrive, Rufus searched the shops as he chugged down the street, hoping he was on the right one.  A couple of blocks ahead on the left, he spotted a garage with big, red lettering on the corner of an intersection.  He squinted and pushed the gas petal harder as he tried to make out the sign.  He relaxed a little when he saw it was indeed Flynn’s Auto, but his relief was short-lived because his engine died and no matter how much he tried to crank it up again, it only choked.

 

“Fantastic,” Rufus sighed.  His birthday week so far was turning out to be a bust.  He was twenty-one now, his own man for the most part.  However things kept happening to him that gave his father excuses to treat him like he was incompetent.  If the President found out about this it was just going to lead to a snide lecture.  He’d tell Rufus he’d asked for it by thinking he was too good to use the company mechanics and he’d probably tell him he belonged in the slums with the riffraff. 

 

Rufus considered using his cell to call a tow truck, but he decided to give the shop down the street a chance, first.  If Flynn’s Auto was as good as people said, he could have his car fixed without word ever getting back to his father about him spending time in the slums and breaking down there.  He tried to crank the engine again, knowing that there was no way he’d be able to push the vehicle and steer it at the same time.

 

~***********************************~

 

            “Hey Reno, check this out,” Lee said as he lit up a cigarette and took a puff.  “Looks like that guy’s a long way from home, man.”

 

            Reno wiped his hands off and stepped out of the workshop, peering down the street where his old friend and current employee pointed.  An expensive, white four door Pantora was stalled outside the discount clothing shop about a block and a half away.  He lifted his goggles up, securing them on his forehead as he studied the car.  He heard it trying to crank and to his practiced ear, it sounded like there was a problem with the starter.  He shook his head and grinned.

 

            “Poor sucker’s probably scared out of his wits, breaking down in a place like this,” Reno muttered.

 

            “Maybe he was coming here to get it looked at,” suggested Lee with a shrug, “we’ve had a lot of rich guys coming to us lately.”

 

            “Good point.  I’ll go check it out and see if he wants us to have a look at it.”  Reno started off at a jog, looking both ways for traffic as he cut across the street.

 

~***********************************************~

 

            Rufus swore as he pumped the gas pedal and tried again to crank the engine.  He realized he might just have to walk to the garage and request help pushing his car the rest of the way there.  He glanced up and abruptly went still when he saw the young man jogging over to him.  The Vice President of ShinRa Inc decided then and there that his car breaking down in this spot was fate—and that it was completely worth it.

 

            The guy closing the distance had his long, auburn hair bound up in a ponytail at the nape of his neck.  The hair on top of his head was fluffed and spiked a bit, with a few strands hanging down over his forehead and on the sides.  He wore a pair of shaded goggles on his forehead and he had angular features that were too attractive to be anything less than beautiful.  He wore an unbuttoned, grease-stained faded red shirt with the sleeved rolled up to the elbows, a pair of ragged blue jeans with various rips and holes in different places and worn canvas sneakers with rubber enforced toes. 

 

He looked roughly around Rufus’ age—maybe a little younger—and his shirt flew open and flashed his lithe-muscled, pale chest and stomach as he jogged over.  He wore a silver chain around his neck and there was a pendant of some sort hanging on it.  The pendant flashed in the dull afternoon light, drawing attention to the perfect clavicle and creamy throat.

 

            Rufus was so busy staring that it took him a moment to realize the guy was calling out to him.  He gave himself a mental nudge and rolled the window down as the redhead approached, subtly checking in his blazer to check his gun in case things took a bad turn. 

 

            “Yo, need some help?” The redhead casually dropped a hand on the roof of the car and bent over to peer inside.  His fine-sculpted jaw worked as he chewed on a piece of gum.  Rufus could smell a pleasing, cinnamon aroma on his breath.  He had long, sea green eyes and they studied Rufus with calculating interest.  The young VP could see the crafty intelligence in those pretty eyes.  He admired the color of them and the thick fringe of ginger lashes framing them. 

 

            “I’m afraid so,” answered Rufus, staring directly into his eyes.  “I was just having a look around the neighborhood when my engine started to sputter.  Now it won’t start.  I had someone look at it last week and I was told it was repaired, but it seems they were wrong.”  The pendant hanging on the redhead’s chain had the likeness of a fox’s head etched into it, and Rufus found it very appropriate.

 

            The redhead blew a little bubble and popped it, nodding sagely.  “Lemme guess; you took it to one of those uptown shops, right?”  When Rufus nodded, the redhead smirked.  “What they probably did was rig a temp fix and charge you full service prices for it, man.  That way your ride keeps breaking down and you keep coming back and giving them gil.  Tell you what, pop your hood and I’ll have a look.”  The redhead winked at him and smiled crookedly.  Rufus was immediately, inescapably infatuated.

 

            Rufus popped the hood of his car and waited while the young man moved around to the front and lifted it.  He heard him mutter: “Yep…figures,” and then he stuck his head out from the right side to look at the VP through the windshield.  “Try cranking it.”

 

            Rufus did so and the engine rolled over and coughed.  The redhead stuck a hand out to indicate that he should stop and Rufus did so.  The young man fooled with something and cursed, before putting the hood down and returning to the driver’s side to talk to Rufus. 

 

            “Okay, you’ve got fire but you ain’t got fuel,” The redhead explained, “Thought it was your starter at first, but it’s your fuel pump.  The guys that did the last job just put some sealant on it and you need a whole new pump, yo.  Want us to push it to my shop and fix you up?”

 

            _~I’d LOVE for you to “fix me up”,~_ Rufus thought as he covertly admired the other young man’s chest and fantasized about fondling his pink nipples.  Aloud, he said: “That would be nice.”  He unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the driver’s side door while the other man stepped back.  He avoided the puddle by the curb and started to grab the steering wheel and position himself to start pushing.

 

            “Yo, those are nice loafers,” the redhead observed with a frown, “wouldn’t want to see those ruined.  You just steer and let us do the pushing.”  He put his thumb and index fingers to his lips and whistled shrilly in the direction of the shop.  “Lee, come help me push this, man!”

 

            Rufus thought about objecting but shrugged and slid back into the driver’s seat.  He was going to pay the foxy redhead more than the service was worth anyway, when this was all said and done and there was no sense in ruining a pair of good leather loafers.  A guy with light brown hair hurried over and got on the other side of the car.  Rufus watched the redhead’s rounded, tight little bottom from the corner of his eye as he steered while the two mechanics pushed.  Before he left, he intended to find out his new interest’s name so that he could look up everything about him when he got home.

 

~************************************~

 

 _~Damn, those idiots could have fucked up a perfectly good engine,~_ Reno thought as he replaced the fuel pump and cleaned the engine.  He shook his head and thought about those riveting, gray eyes.  _~That guy’s got some major intensity.  He’s…aware.  Most of the rich guys that come through here act like they’re somewhere else but this guy’s something else.  Maybe I’m just imagining it. Hell, I can’t blame those cheap-shots at the other shops for sabotaging his ride…I’m almost tempted to do it myself just to get him coming around again.~_

            Reno puzzled over the instant attraction he felt for his customer while he worked on the vehicle. 

 

_~straight-laced executive types aren’t my style.  So why do I wanna run my fingers through that sandy-blond hair and make those intense eyes of his widen?  Okay…focus.  Stop fucking around and get the job done.~_

He still thought the mysterious customer looked familiar but he couldn’t imagine where he might have seen him before.

            He finished the job and got into the vehicle to test it.  It cranked easily and the engine purred.  Reno smiled and pulled the car out of the garage.  He got out of the vehicle and juggled the keys lightly as he whistled a tune.  He pushed through the door leading into the little reception area and blew a little bubble.

 

            “All done,” Reno said to his customer, who was relaxing in a seat and leafing through the newspaper.  The blond man put the paper down and stood up.  Reno handed the keys to him and smiled.  “That’s a sweet engine you’ve got in your car.  You should have her cleaned every six months, yo.  Wouldn’t want to let corrosion set in.”

 

            The blonde smiled subtly, in a way that made Reno’s heart pound a little.  “Thank you.  How much do I owe you?”

 

            Reno turned to his receptionist, who was sitting behind the desk and just hanging up the telephone.  “Penny, got a fuel pump replacement here for you to ring up.  Take care of Mister…” He looked at the blonde and raised his eyebrows inquiringly.

 

            “Shinra,” answered the other man softly.  “Rufus Shinra.”

 

            He held back a smile as both the mechanic and the receptionist stared.

 

            “Uh, yeah.  Take care of Mister Shinra, Penny,” Reno said after recovering from his surprise.  He reached over to the desk and took one of the cards sitting in a holder, never taking his blue-green eyes off of Rufus.  “Here, Sir.  Take a card and if you ever have problems again, give us a call.”  He was amazed that his voice held steady.  He was also amazed that his gum hadn’t tumbled out of his mouth in his shock. 

 

            Rufus took the card, thanked him and pulled his wallet out of his gray blazer.  “Oh, I will,” the VP said as he slid the business card into one of the slots and thumbed through his gil.  He produced a hundred gil note and held it out to Reno.  “Here.  A tip for your trouble.”

 

            Reno stared at the note and then looked at Rufus.  The intense gray eyes held his and he accidentally swallowed his gum.  “S-sir, I can’t take that…”

 

            “Of course you can,” Rufus insisted.  He boldly slipped the bill into Reno’s left front pocket, patting his hip when he finished.  “Such professional service deserves extra compensation.  It’s difficult to find a good mechanic, these days.”

 

            Reno swallowed again as his groin hardened in reaction to the brief, intimate act.  Penny’s mouth was hanging open and he looked at her with a frown.  She snapped out of it and added up the bill.  Rufus paid it, gave Reno one last, lingering look and walked out.  Reno and Penny stared out the window as the VP got into his car and pulled out of the lot.

 

            “That was hot,” Penny stated.

 

            “That was the fucking Vice President of ShinRa,” Reno said.  He reached into his pocket and pulled out the note that Rufus had given him.  The “tip” that the young VP had graced him with was worth half the cost of the work he’d done on his car.  “I KNEW he looked familiar!”

 

~************************************~

 

            The speaker beeped and Rufus pushed the button on it.  “Yes?”

 

            “Sir, it’s Tseng.  I have the information you requested.  I can upload it to your computer, if you’d like.”

 

            Rufus opened the laptop on his desk and turned it on.  “Please do.  Come and join me when you finish.”  He pushed the com button again and brought his mail up, waiting patiently for Tseng’s files to appear in his inbox.  After a few moments, they arrived and Rufus opened the first one.  He was confused at first when he saw a mug shot of an adolescent, roughly thirteen or fourteen in age.  It took him a moment to recognize Reno.  He read the file with interest, calling out for Tseng to enter when the Turk knocked on his office door.

 

            “He killed his stepfather at fourteen,” Rufus mused, rubbing his chin.

 

            “Actually, it wasn’t his stepfather,” Tseng corrected.  “His mother wasn’t married to him.  The victim had a history of domestic violence and apparently Mr. Flynn beat him to death to defend his mother.”

 

            Rufus smiled.  “Impressive.  Not many children would have the nerve to fight back against an abuser.”  He opened the next file and found another mug shot—one that appeared to be fairly recent because the Reno in the picture looked much like the Reno he’d met the day before.  Rufus smiled again.  “He killed a robber with his own gun.  Oh, I like him, Tseng.”

 

            The Wutaian studied Rufus thoughtfully.  “Do we have a new grooming target then, Sir?”

 

            Rufus threaded his fingers together and narrowed his eyes on the image of the sexy redhead.  “Yes,” he said after a moment, “but we’ll start with observation first.  He’s not actively seeking out a position with the Turks, so we’ll have to draw him in and see how he feels about it, first.”

 

            Tseng nodded.  “I think that’s wise, Sir.  How closely would you like him watched?”

 

            “Let’s not be too invasive,” answered the VP.  “I want to keep an eye on him but I don’t want to risk him knowing about it.  If we invade his privacy it would only make recruiting him later more difficult.”

 

~*************************************~

 

            That night, Rufus dreamed.  It was amazingly vivid, clear and erotic.  He dreamed that he had Reno Flynn naked in his bed, sweating and crying his name.  He could see every detail in the redhead’s face—the way his shapely lips parted, the way his fair skin flushed with passion, the way his ginger lashes fluttered closed as the final ecstasy overcame him. Of course, he’d woken up with morning wood on several occasions and he’d had wet dreams before but they’d never been THAT realistic or intense and he’d never actually achieved orgasm from them before.

 

            Still gasping with release, he worked his boxers off and rolled out of bed, stumbling to the bathroom to get cleaned up.  His desire for the mechanic was almost consuming.  Rufus had crushes before—he’d been infatuated with Tseng for months before he finally made a move on him and learned he reciprocated his feelings.  This was much worse than a simple crush.  The young VP could honestly say he had never wanted anyone as much as he wanted Reno Flynn.  He decided that while he was grooming him to become a Turk, he’d also groom him to become his lover.  He and Tseng weren’t exclusive so he knew that the Wutaian wouldn’t mind.

 

~***********************************~

 

            “You aren’t going to like this,” Tseng said with certainty as he reported to Rufus.  He and his fellow Turks had been watching Reno for over a week now.

 

            “What won’t I like?” Rufus said, tensing.  If something had happened to Reno…

 

            “Flynn is in a sexual contract,” Tseng answered.

 

            Rufus frowned.  “What?”

 

            “He owes money to a loan shark,” the dark-haired man explained, “and apparently, the man is taking his payback with some special interest.”

 

            Rufus felt an unusual amount of rage stir within him at this news.  “What sort of sexual favors are we talking about, Tseng?”

 

            “Mostly oral, as far as we’ve been able to ascertain.  You know how it will end up before he’s finished paying off the loan, I’m sure.”

 

            “Organize to finish paying his loan for him,” Rufus commanded without hesitation.  “Send it in anonymously and have the loan shark monitored to be certain he honors it.”

 

            Tseng nodded.  “Right away, Sir.  Your father wishes to speak with you, by the way.”

 

            Rufus pursed his lips.  The only time the President ever wanted to speak with him was to either order him around or berate him.  He knew that his son was gay and he made it abundantly clear he disapproved.  Rufus really didn’t feel like listening to his father call him a little faggot today.

 

            Seeing the younger man’s expression, Tseng gently said: “Shall I start up the Jacuzzi and get a drink ready for you, Rufus?”  He only addressed the VP by his given name when speaking to him intimately. 

 

            Rufus sighed and reached out to stroke the Turk’s business suit-clad arm.  “Thank you, but no.  I think I’ll make a trip down to the lower city today after father is finished with me.  I’d like to check on our potential recruit for myself.”

 

~********************************~

 

            Reno brushed his teeth for the third time since his “meeting” with his loan shark.  He thought about taking another shower but he really couldn’t afford to waste water.  No matter how much toothpaste and mouth rinse he used, he couldn’t get the taste of the man out of his mouth.  He gagged as he thought of it and he nearly threw up in the sink.  Taking a deep breath, he cupped his hands under the running water tap and filled them, then rinsed the toothpaste out of his mouth and spit.

 

            Someone knocked on his office door and he wiped his mouth, left the dingy bathroom and hollered at whomever it was to come in.  Penny opened the door and peeked in, her brown eyes wide.  “Reno, you’ve got a visitor waiting for you in the reception area.”

 

            He frowned, immediately thinking that Bruce decided he hadn’t gotten enough head earlier and was back for more.  “Who is it?” He asked.

 

            “V-Vice President ShinRa,” the young woman answered.

 

            “You serious?” Reno blurted.

 

            She nodded rapidly.  “I thought something went wrong with the work you did on his car at first, but he said he was happy with it and he just wanted to ask you for a tour of the neighborhood.”  She said all of this on one breath, speaking so rapidly it was difficult to understand her.

 

            “A tour of the neighborhood?” he scratched his head, his auburn brows furrowing in confusion.  “Why?”

 

            She shrugged.  “Beats me.  I don’t think you should blow him off, though.”

 

            “Yeah,” Reno agreed, still frowning with confusion.  Not that he minded seeing the handsome young VP again but he’d convinced himself the only way that was going to happen would be if Rufus had more car trouble.  “I’ll be right out.”

 

            She closed the door and Reno hurried into the bathroom to give himself a quick once-over in the mirror, briskly running his fingers through his hair to even it out.  When he was satisfied with his appearance he reached into his shirt pocket and produced a pack of cinnamon gum. He put a stick in his mouth and replaced the packet, then made his way out to the reception area.

 

            Rufus stood up when he saw him, giving him one of those quiet, sexy smiles as he reached out with one hand.  “Hello again, Reno.  I hope I’m not imposing, but I need to survey this part of town to determine where to begin with improvements.  I was hoping I could count on you to give me a tour.”

 

            Reno couldn’t resist a crooked smile as he shook Rufus’ hand.  “You wanna fix up the slums?  What the hell, I’m in.  Uh…Sir.”

 

            “Please, call me Rufus,” the VP said, “You aren’t my employee.” _~At least, not yet.~_

~*********************************~

 

            _So, I gave the boss a tour of the cruddy sectors, starting out with the sector 6 slums and ending with Wall Market.  I was still kind of queasy from my little “meeting” that day with the loan shark and Rufus offered to buy me dinner, but I was afraid to take him up on it and when he found out I was feeling sick to my stomach, he bought me a frozen fruit smoothie instead.  It was real nice, yo.  It kind of felt like a date, to be honest.  Rufus talked to me about his hopes to fix up the buildings in the slums and clean up the crime.  I could tell there was more to it than that but as long as he was going to do something to make poor people’s lives a little better, I didn’t care what his real reasons were._

  _He gave me his cellphone number after he dropped me off at the shop and he said something that I thought was really weird.  He said that if I ever needed financial help to come to him first.  I knew right then that for whatever reason, he was having me watched.  I know, most people would think that was creepy but I’m not most people.  Call me a fucking weirdo if you want but I was kind of flattered, because I could tell he did it ‘cause he was interested in me and maybe a little worried about me, too._

_I didn’t know at the time that he’d paid off my loan for me.  If I had, what happened a few days later could have been avoided.  Oh yeah…I almost forgot: stealing government machines is a really, really bad idea.  Remember that, kids._

~**********************************~

 

-To be continued.  


	3. Chapter 3

“Thanks for the Memories”

A Reno fanfiction

Chapter 3: “Recruitment”

~*******************************************~

*Disclaimer:  Final Fantasy and all characters therein belong to Square-Enix.  This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can’t get enough of this world and the characters.* 

***Trigger warning for non-con scene in this chapter***

~***********************************************~

 

 

            _I talked to Rufus a lot after that.  He isn’t big on the whole range of human emotions but for some reason, I was able to pick up on things he kept below the surface, yo.  I could tell when he was stressed, even though the change in his voice was so small most people probably wouldn’t have picked up on it.  I called him every couple of days or he called me.  I hadn’t seen or heard anything from Bruce since the day I showed Rufus around town.  I sure as hell wasn’t going to complain about that, even though I thought it was pretty weird.  Usually the guy showed up at the worst times and I’d have to spend about an hour in my office, getting groped by him before sucking him off._

_Never count on things going your way until you know for sure they will, yo.  You’ll set yourself up for disappointment if you do.  I made that mistake when my loan shark left me alone for a while, thinking he was finally tired of me and I could pay him back the rest of the money without having to suck his cock anymore.  I found out differently on the weekend after driving around with Rufus._

_~************************************~_

            Rufus was so enamored with Reno that he started taking it upon himself to watch him as well, instead of leaving everything to his Turks.  He bought a used car to use for his stakeouts, knowing that his own was not only conspicuous but would have been easily recognized if Reno spotted it.  It was Friday night and the mechanic had already sent his employees home and he was getting ready to close up the shop and do his nightly routine of adding up the day’s profit before going home. 

 

            As Rufus watched, a mid-priced, blue luxury car pulled up in the shop’s parking lot.  The VP frowned and put his binoculars to his eyes.  He recognized the middle-aged man with salt and pepper hair and his free hand clenched into a fist.  He disciplined himself and waited rather than act on his first impulse.  Perhaps Bruce was only there to tell Reno his debt was paid.  Rufus’ instincts said otherwise but he could leave the car for a closer look if he needed to.

 

~********************************~

 

            Reno looked up at the sound of the bell on the door and started to reach for the collapsible baton strapped to his belt loop.  When he recognized Bruce he hardly relaxed, but he stopped reaching for his weapon.  “I guess some things are too good to be true, yo.”

 

            The older man frowned at him. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I’d like a few minutes of your time.  Lock up and join me in your office, Flynn.”

 

            Reno opened his mouth to argue but thought better of it and sighed.  He wouldn’t have to put up with this forever…in a few months he should have the loan paid off and then he could beat the hell out of the guy if he tried to get more from him.  “Just a sec,” Reno sighed in resignation.  He hated the man’s smug smile.  He came out from behind the desk and walked to the door, locking it securely.  “Let’s hurry it up, yo.”  Reno motioned to Bruce and walked to the back of the building, where his office was.  Bruce followed him in and closed the door behind them.

 

            “I have an offer to make you,” Bruce said as his hazel eyes scanned Reno’s body hungrily.  “If you’ll let me fuck you, I’ll call off your debt and we can be finished with all of this.  What do you say, Reno?  Just one last encounter the way I want it and you’ll be finished.”

 

            Reno’s mouth twisted.  He wasn’t a shrinking violet and he didn’t entertain romantic fantasies of being deflowered by some Mr. Right, but he sure as hell didn’t want his first time to take it up the ass to be with this guy.  “No thanks man,” he said, “I’d rather just keep things the way they are until I’ve paid you off.”

 

            Bruce crossed his arms over his chest.  “I didn’t say I’d take ‘no’ for an answer, Flynn.”

 

            Reno scowled, “You threatening to rape me?”

 

            “I’m telling you to do what the fuck you’re told,” Bruce snapped, “I’m the one calling the shots here.”

 

            Reno wasted no time in reaching for his baton, but the other man had evidently anticipated that and he reached into his blazer and pulled a gun on the redhead before he could finish the action.  “Keep your hands up.”

 

            Reno slowly raised his hands, glaring at the man with loathing.  Keeping his eyes on him, Bruce reached into his blazer again and produced a pair of handcuffs, tossing them to the redhead.  Reno caught them one-handed without having to even think about it or moving any other part of his body.  An impressed expression crossed Bruce’s face briefly before he gave his next order.  “Put them on one wrist and turn around.  Keep your hands behind your back and walk backwards to me.”

 

            _~Fuck,~_ Reno thought as he slowly obeyed, _~I don’t think he’s gonna slip up enough to give me the opportunity I need.  Goddammit, he’s one of the last guys on earth I’d want fucking me, let alone popping my cherry.  Think!~_   His rising fear made it easier said than done, though.  He couldn’t find any loopholes in the situation for him to slip though and he didn’t fool himself into thinking he wouldn’t get shot if he tried to attack the guy or run.

 

            Bruce licked his lips with anticipation and kept the gun leveled at Reno as the redhead snapped one of the cuffs over his left wrist, turned around and put both his wrists behind his back.  He turned around and walked backwards as instructed, until he was close enough to satisfy Bruce. 

 

“Stop and hold still,” the loan shark demanded. 

 

Reno did so and the older man reached out and snapped the other cuff closed.  He removed Reno’s collapsible baton from the belt loop and tossed it across the room, and then he caught the young man’s waist-length ponytail and let it slide through his fingers.  He put his gun away and freed Reno’s hair from the elastic band and spread it out over his back. 

 

            Reno couldn’t contain a shudder of revulsion when the older man’s big hand cupped him between the legs and squeezed his crotch.  Bruce leaned in and put his mouth close to the redhead’s ear.  “I’ve been wanting to fuck that tight little ass of yours since I first laid eyes on you.  This is going to be—“

 

            His sentence ended abruptly when the office door swung open wide.  Both Reno and his captor turned their heads to stare as a man stepped through the threshold.  Rufus ShinRa raised a shiny, compact handgun and narrowed cold gray eyes on Bruce.

 

            “You had your chance to walk away,” the VP stated icily. 

 

            Reno jumped as a silencer-muffled shot was fired from the weapon.  The loan shark’s hands immediately released him and Bruce crashed to the floor, dead by a neat hole in the side of his skull before he even hit the dingy carpet.  Reno stared down at his would-be rapist, then looked up at Rufus with wide eyes.  The VP smoothly slipped the gun into his dress jacket, his eyes softening ever so slightly as they met Reno’s.  He crossed the room and knelt beside the fallen man, rifling through his pockets until he found the keys to the cuffs.

 

            “We aren’t going to panic, are we?” Rufus murmured as he freed the redhead from his cuffs and turned him around to study him closely.

 

            It took Reno a moment to find his voice.  “I don’t panic, yo.  I’m just…surprised.  How’d you get in without us hearing it?”

 

            “I shot the lock,” Rufus explained, running a hand gently down Reno’s arm.  “The silencer muffled it.  I’ll send for someone to replace the lock tonight, of course.”

 

            Reno felt light-headed.  “How did you know what he was gonna do to me, Sir?”

 

            Rufus sighed and ran his fingers through Reno’s hair.  “Because I know his type, and I can personally attest that you’re far too tempting to resist.”  Deciding that a white lie was the best course for this delicate situation, he finished: “I have to confess, I found you too intriguing to leave alone.  I did a bit of digging and found out that this man was blackmailing you, so I’ve been having him watched.  Tonight I just happened to be watching him myself.”

 

            “So you spied on me,” reasoned the redhead.  He couldn’t believe he was standing there having this conversation with a dead body at his feet.

 

            “I prefer to think of it as watching out for you,” Rufus smiled, “and before you get indignant, it had nothing to do with my respect for your ability to take care of yourself.  I simply wanted to be sure you weren’t in any outstanding trouble with finances or the law.  I tend to be protective of those I’m interested in, Reno.”

 

            Reno’s heart thudded in his chest at those words and he again wondered how this conversation could be happening right now, let alone how Rufus’ protective urges toward him could make him feel so warm inside.  “What do we do about him?”  He glanced down at the corpse meaningfully.

 

            “I’ll have that taken care of right away,” Rufus assured him.  “This never happened and you haven’t seen this man since the last time you paid him, understood?”

 

            “Got it,” Reno said with a little awe.

 

            Rufus nodded with satisfaction and pulled a cell phone out from the inside of his dress jacket.  He selected a number on his auto-dial and put the device to his ear.  After a moment, he spoke to someone on the other end.  “Tseng, I need a cleanup crew sent to Flynn’s Auto in sector eight.  Do you need the address?  Good.  I also need a locksmith.  No, I’m not injured.  Yes, I’ll see you then.  Goodbye.”  He ended the call and replaced the phone in his pocket before studying Reno again.  “Shall we go to the reception lounge while we wait?  I can’t imagine the proximity of a corpse being conductive to a decent conversation.”

 

~*************************************~

 

            Reno sipped on a soda from the vending machine and sat beside the VP in the reception area.  He stared at Rufus, trying to figure him out.

 

            “You certainly aren’t shy,” Rufus smirked as he met the redhead’s curious, sea-green eyes.  No, Reno wasn’t shy and his gaze was as open and inquiring as the animal he reminded Rufus so much of.  “Is there something you’d like to ask me, Reno?”

 

            “You want me?” Reno answered without hesitation.

 

            Rufus was so taken aback by the sudden, naked inquiry that he nearly dropped the bottle of mineral water he was sipping.  He stared at Reno and tried to think of an elegant way to answer the question.  Finally, he opted to just give him the honest truth.  “Yes, I do want you.  What made you ask such a question, though?”

 

            Reno shrugged and smiled a little.  “I figured you must, to go through all this trouble for me, yo.  I just wanted to hear you say it so I could stop asking myself if it was all in my head.  When you plugged that sonofabitch, you told him he ‘had his chance’.  You paid off the rest of my debt to him to get him to leave me alone, didn’t you?”

 

            Rufus nodded slowly.  “You’re nobody’s fool, are you?  Now, I have a question for you, Reno.”

 

            “The answer’s yes,” said Reno without missing a beat, giving the blonde man a sexy smirk.

 

            Rufus returned the smirk.  “How do you know what I was going to ask?”

 

            “You had ‘Sex Face’,” Reno shrugged.

 

            Rufus laughed softly before he could stop himself.  “’Sex Face’, is it?  I hadn’t realized my desires were so…transparent.”  Now wasn’t the time to begin luring the redhead into his bed, though.  If he started sleeping with him, it could influence his decision to join the Turks.  Besides, as cool and nonchalant as Reno was acting, Rufus could see the tension in the slim mechanic’s body.  He’d nearly been forced in his own office and Rufus thought it would be vulgar to make advances on him in such a vulnerable moment.  Bondage and seduction were one thing…outright forcing an unwilling party was quite another.  He reached out and slowly put an arm around the redhead, drawing him into a gentle, half-embrace.

 

            “I would like to explore this further, in time,” Rufus whispered.  “For now, this is enough.”

 

            Reno started to respond but a sleek black four-door pulled up outside at that moment.  He twisted in his seat and watched as three men and a woman got out of the car, all wearing identical, tailored suits. 

 

            _~Law agents?  Or are they…wait, I think I’ve heard of these guys.~_

            “Are those guys who I think they are?” Reno murmured as he pointed at the approaching suites. 

 

            Rufus watched him carefully.  “Who do you think they are, Reno?”

 

            “Uh, I’ve never seen ‘em myself before but I’ve read things and heard some stuff.  Are they Turks?”

 

            Rufus nodded.

 

            “Cool,” Reno grinned.

 

            Rufus smiled back, pleased that instead of being nervous or worried, the redhead seemed fascinated.  Tseng came through the door first, pausing to look at the damaged lock.  His dark eyes regarded Rufus for a moment before examining Reno.  “Where is the rubbish, Sir?” He asked Rufus.

 

            “Through the office door in the back,” answered the VP.

 

            Tseng motioned to two of the men, giving them a silent signal.  They nodded and opened the trunk of the black car while the woman went with Tseng to the office.  Reno watched as the other two Turks brought in a body bag and a bucket full of bottles of various cleaning chemicals.  They swiftly walked to the office, each of them giving Rufus a respectful nod in passing.  Before Reno could ask any questions, the woman emerged from the back office and went to the front door, dropping a black, square case on the floor as she knelt in front of the door.

 

            Reno watched as she opened the case to reveal various tools, locks and keys.  He couldn’t say he was surprised to find out that the Turks employed someone that was good at changing locks. 

 

            In less than a half hour, the Turks had the body in their trunk, his office cleaner than he’d ever seen it before, and his front door sporting a sturdy new lock.  Reno was amazed and impressed by how quickly they worked and he studied the Wutaian man with the raven ponytail with more than a passing interest as he spoke to Rufus.

 

            “We’ll dispose of the rubbish properly and see to it that it won’t be tracked back here, Sir.”  The raven-haired Turk bowed shallowly to Rufus, his velvety eyes regarding the VP with an easy familiarity that made Reno wonder if their relationship went deeper than work.  He didn’t ask Rufus what happened to lead to the loan shark getting plugged and he didn’t seem the least bit curious.

 

            “Thank you, Tseng,” Rufus responded, “I’d like you to meet Reno Flynn.  Reno, this is Tseng.  He’s next in line to lead the Turks, and he’s one of the men I trust the most.”

 

            Reno reached out and took the hand that Tseng offered him, shaking it lightly.  “You guys are just…cool,” he said.  He flushed with embarrassment and wanted to smack himself as soon as the words left his mouth.  He really sounded his age with that one.

 

            Tseng smiled softly at him, his gentle expression oddly contradictory to what he did for a living.  “And you’re the amazing mechanic that Vice President ShinRa has been speaking so highly of.  He only praises exceptional talent, you know.”

 

            Reno glanced at Rufus, who was nodding in agreement with Tseng.  “Well thanks, yo,” the redhead answered.

 

            “Perhaps we’ll see more of each other, in the future,” Tseng suggested with a polite nod at him.  “Have a pleasant evening, Mr. Flynn.”

 

            Reno watched him leave and get into the car with the other Turks.  When they pulled out of the lot, the redhead looked at Rufus again.  “This is going down on record as the weirdest night of my life, yo.”

 

            Rufus smiled.  “Too weird?”

 

            Reno considered the question and shook his head.  “Nah, I can handle it.  Hey…thanks.  You know, for stopping that asshole.”

 

            “It was my pleasure, Reno.”  It was on the tip of his tongue to ask if the mechanic was a virgin, but Rufus throttled his eagerness and told himself that the question could be asked at a much more appropriate time.

 

            “I’m still not sure why a rich, cultured guy like you is interested in a street rat like me,” Reno said.

 

            Rufus slid his hand under his chin and gently cupped his jaw, looking him in the eye.  “You’re no rat.  You’re a fox.”

 

            Reno smiled a little with pleasure and Rufus couldn’t resist closing the distance and giving those pretty lips a soft, brief kiss.  He pulled away before it could become heated and he stroked Reno’s hair.  “Let me drive you home.”

 

~*********************************************~

 

            _I didn’t see Rufus in person for a while after that night but he called me every other day.  I figured he was just really busy and I kept telling myself to quit worrying that he’d changed his mind or something, yo.  I got restless and I didn’t know what the hell was going on with him, and that made me frustrated.  I dyed my hair a brighter red out of boredom and decided I liked the color, so I’ve been doing it regularly since then, yo.  I was starting to lose faith that Rufus really wanted me, until the week of my birthday._

 

~*****************************~

 

            “What do you think, Ma?”  Reno stood in front of his mother and grinned down at her.

 

            Lena looked up at her son from her seat on the couch and stared, her mouth dropping open a bit.  “It’s…very red,” she said carefully.  “Honey, how long did you leave it on for?”

 

            “It’s supposed to be this red,” he chuckled.  “I know it looks a little extreme now but that’s just ‘cause you’re used to seeing me with my natural hair color.  It’s ‘Firebrick red’.  It’ll fade a little after a few washings so it won’t be so shocking, after a while.”

 

            Lena sighed good-naturedly and smiled at him.  “You always did love the color red, my dear.  I must say, you’re one of the only people I know with the complexion to pull it off.  If you’re happy with it than I suppose I’ll grow used to it.”

 

            He bent over and placed a firm kiss on the top of her head.  “Thanks, Ma.  I’m gonna go check the mail now.”

 

            Reno went out the door and flipped up the lid on the mailbox.  He frowned when he pulled a small, square package out with the envelopes.  It was addressed to him but there was no return address.

 

            “Huh…weird.”  Shrugging, he brought the mail in, handed his mother hers and opened up the package with his name on it.  His mother watched curiously as he tore the paper off to reveal a cardboard box with a card attached to it. 

 

            “Happy birthday, Reno,” he read aloud, his brows lowered curiously. 

 

            “Well, isn’t that sweet,” Lena cooed.  “Who is it from, dear?”

 

            “Doesn’t say,” Reno answered as he opened the box.

 

            “Does my boy have a secret admirer?” she teased. 

 

He shot a grin at her before looking inside of the box.  He nearly dropped it when he saw what was inside.  “Holy fuck,” he gasped.  He cringed at his mother.  “Sorry Ma.” 

 

            She got up to see what had caused her son to swear like that in front of her.  Inside of the box was a very expensive watch of white gold.  “Oh, that’s a Durex,” she exclaimed with wide eyes.  “It seems my boy has a RICH secret admirer.”

 

            Reno put the watch on and held his arm out, admiring it.  He could only think of one person that could afford such an expensive birthday present.  “’Scuse me, Ma.  I’ve gotta make a phone call.”

 

            He went into the kitchen and took the phone off the wall, dialing Rufus’ cell phone number with familiar ease.  It rang three times before the VP picked up. 

 

            “Hello, Reno.”

 

            “Hello yourself,” the redhead grinned.  “Yo, I just got a really SWEET watch in the mail for my birthday, but whoever sent it didn’t leave a name or anything.  I wonder who it could have been?”

 

            “I wonder,” Rufus said dryly.  “Do you like it?”

 

            “Like it?” Reno laughed, “I almost creamed my pants!  Uh…sorry.”  He flushed.  It felt just as wrong to use vulgar terms and swear words in front of the VP as it did to use them in front of his mother.

 

            Rufus chuckled.  “Your enthusiasm makes me happy.  I’m glad that you like it, Reno.”

 

            Reno twirled the phone cord in his fingers, feeling a little shy all the sudden.  “So, when do I get to see you again, Sir?”  It had become an automatic reflex of his to address Rufus respectfully, though the man had never asked him to.

 

            “Unfortunately my duties have been keeping me away from Midgar these past few weeks, but I hope to get back into town soon to see you again.  Are you getting impatient, Fox?”  The last was said in a teasing, flirtatious tone that made shivers race up Reno’s spine.

 

            “Maybe,” Reno said evasively, grinning.  “You’ll call me when you make it back in, won’t you?”

 

            “Of course,” answered the blonde man immediately.  “and when I do, I’d like to take you out someplace nice on the weekend.  Would that be acceptable to you?”

 

            “That sounds real nice,” Reno said hesitantly, looking down at his less-than-refined clothes.  “Only, I don’t have any really nice outfits to wear, yo.”

 

            “You can leave that to me,” Rufus assured him.  “I’m eager to see you again, Fox.”

 

~********************************~

 

            When another week came and went without Rufus returning or even giving him an idea of when he might be, Reno grew restless again.  One Sunday, he decided to try a change of scenery to ease his mind and he took a tour of the Channel Seven news station.  Midway through the tour, he snuck away and managed to get on the roof without anyone catching him.  He just wanted to be somewhere high and this was the highest building near his neighborhood. 

 

            He was feeling mischievous and a little immature.  He was about to spit his gum out over the side of the building when he caught sight of not one, but two helicopters on the landing pads in the middle of the roof.  Reno approached them eagerly, having never actually been this close to his favorite kind of aircraft before.  The blue one had the News Station logo on it but the sleek black one on the other pad was void of any identification logos.  The redhead wiped his mouth with his sleeve in case he was drooling and he slowly walked to the black chopper.

 

            “Well hey there beauty,” the redhead murmured as he reached out and stroked the smooth side of the chopper.  He looked around furtively.  “I probably shouldn’t,” he muttered, but his body kept moving even as he said it and the next thing he knew, he was in the pilot seat with the seatbelt securely fastened.  He picked up the noise reduction transmission headphones and placed them over his head, pulling his sunglasses down over his eyes.  “I know I look good in this,” he grinned.

 

            He examined the control panel and found it easy to work out which switches did what.  Different model choppers had some slight variations but it was close enough to the control panel on the simulator he always fooled with for him to know what he was doing. 

 

            _~Okay, that’s enough fun, yo.  Time to go before I get caught.  But you know, I kind of wonder if I could really get away with stealing this baby.~_

            His body reacted to the silent gamble and Reno watched his own hand reach out and push the starter button.  The engine came to life and the main rotor and tail rotor started spinning.  He sat there looking around while the rotors picked up speed, thinking that he should knock it off before someone came up and saw what he was doing. 

 

            _~Whoa, what the fuck am I doing?  This is a really stupid idea!~_

 

            He did not, however, turn the engine off.  While he wrestled inwardly with himself, the door to the staircase leading into the building open and security guards came running out.  The looks on their faces made Reno’s decision a lot easier.  He took hold of the stick in one hand and reached out to toggle some switches.  The chopper lifted off of the roof just before the guards made it across the surface and Reno felt a mixture of sheer terror and utter exuberance as he steered it away from the news station. 

 

He forced himself to stay calm and remember everything he’d learned; the last thing he needed was to make a suicide dive because he let his uncertainty rule him.  He smiled hugely as he quickly adjusted.  It felt like the most natural thing in the world to him and before long, he was flying level over the huge city and hooting with excitement.

 

He gave a little start as he got a transmission over the radio.  “Attention, pilot…this is the Midgar air control.  You have taken an aircraft without authorization and you’re required to land it immediately and give yourself over to the authorities.”

 

            “Screw that,” Reno grunted.  If he let them catch him, this stunt was probably going to put him behind bars for years and then his mother wouldn’t have anyone to look after her.  He regretted his impulsive theft but when he realized that there were three other choppers giving chase from the west, there was no going back.

 

~**************************************~

 

            Rufus got the phone call from Tseng as soon as he got into Midgar.  It was so odd it made him speechless.

 

            “Sir, I think you should come to Headquarters as soon as you can.  Your little redheaded friend is in serious trouble.  It seems he stole one of your unmarked helicopters and led the authorities on a merry chase.  We have him in custody now and I can only keep it from the President for so long before he finds out about this.” 

 

He immediately went to the ShinRa headquarters and met up with the Turk.  “Tell me how this happened,” he insisted as he walked brusquely beside the Wutaian through the halls.

 

“I’m not entirely certain, Sir,” Tseng answered with a faint frown, “I received the call this afternoon that a thief attempted to make off with the new helicopter that was waiting for you at the News Station.  When they gave me the name I came here as quickly as I could.  Reno claims he’s never flown an actual helicopter before but according to Midgar air control, he’s the most skilled pilot they’ve ever seen.  He evaded them until his fuel got low and he was forced to land—which is no easy feat for even veteran pilots.”

 

Rufus felt a soft swell of pride and he couldn’t even bring himself to be surprised that a mechanical genius like Reno flew like a pro on his first trip out. “Did Reno give an explanation as to why he took it?” He asked.

 

Tseng’s lips twitched as he nodded.  “Yes Sir.  He said that he did it just to see if he could.”

 

~**********************************~

 

            Reno looked up as the door to the little room he was in opened and Rufus ShinRa walked through.  He would have stood up if the manacles chaining his ankles to the floor didn’t make him so clumsy.  “How did you find out I was here, yo?” he asked a bit sheepishly. 

 

Rufus examined him with faint surprise, his pale eyebrows rising.  “You colored your hair,” he said as he sat down on the other side of the table.  “It suites you.”

 

“Uh, thanks,” Reno said.  “I don’t think my hair is what matters here, man.  I didn’t want you to get involved in this—“

 

Rufus smiled with faint amusement and interrupted him.  “Why Reno, I had to get involved in this.  The helicopter you stole was one of mine.”

 

Reno’s eyes widened.  “You’re shitting me.”

 

“I’m afraid not,” Rufus countered, threading his fingers together on top of the table casually.

 

            “B-but there was no ShinRa logo on it!” Reno denied, a touch of desperation coloring his voice.

 

            “That’s because I hadn’t yet gotten the opportunity to have it done,” Rufus explained patiently.  “It was brand new.  I had it waiting for me at the News station until I could have an older model disassembled for scrap metal and free up a space for it.”

 

            Reno stared at the VP with horror he couldn’t hide.  _~Fuck…guess the honeymoon’s over now.~_   Aloud, he asked: “So what are you gonna do to me, Sir?”

 

            Rufus gave him an intense look and a faint smile.  “Do to you, Reno?  Why, I’m going to offer you a job.”

 

~**********************************~

 

            _Ever heard of the expression: “Struck dumb”?  Well, that’s about how I was at this point._

~*******************************~

 

-To be continued

 


	4. Chapter 4

“Thanks for the Memories”

A Reno fanfiction

Chapter 4: “Learning the ropes”

~*******************************************~

*Disclaimer:  Final Fantasy and all characters therein belong to Square-Enix.  This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can’t get enough of this world and the characters.* 

~***********************************************~

 

            _What do you say to a guy that offers you a whole new life, yo?  I sat there in that questioning room with my wrists and ankles cuffed, expecting to be put away for life.  Instead my stunt impressed one of the most important men on Gaia so much, he wanted me to join his Turks and become his personal pilot._

 

            _“Think about it, Reno.  You’ll get to see the world.  You’ll have the money and influence to relocate your mother to a good home and see that she never goes hungry or ill again.  You’ll have the power and resources to do things most people can only dream about and you’ll have a new family to call your own.”_

_Wow.  I still get chills just thinking about that speech of his, man.  Rufus has a way of saying things that just makes you listen, yo.  I’d never set foot out of Midgar before and my Ma was about the most important thing to me in the world…plus I loved the experience of flying a real chopper.  He was offering me everything I’d ever wanted, but there was a catch.  If I became a Turk, I’d have to give up my last name.  Once you’re a member of the Turks, that’s your identity, man.  You’d think I’d be all too happy to toss my childhood away and put on a new skin, but Ma was part of who I was.  If I joined, I could never tell her anything about my work and I wouldn’t be able to spend much time with her anymore.  That was the only thing that made me hesitate after Rufus explained the rules to me, yo._

_“Your mother will always be your mother,” he said, “and you would never be expected to sever your ties with her, after all.  She simply can’t be privy to information concerning your work—both for her own safety and for the protection of this organization.  The Turks don’t require members to abandon their other family, Reno.”_

_That was all the reassurance I really needed, yo.  I told him I was in and he had me released.  I went home that night and told Ma I’d spent the whole day testing for a job opportunity—which was true in a funny way—and I said I was sorry for not calling her and making her worry about me.  I told her I got hired and things were going to change for the better.  I don’t think she believed me at first but Ma was just too sweet to say so._

_The next day, I drew up some paperwork to transfer ownership of my shop to my pal, Lee.  Then I put on a Turk suit for the first time._

~***********************************~

 

            “It looks good on you,” Tseng complimented as he eyed the redhead thoughtfully.

 

            Reno stepped the rest of the way out of the dressing room and pulled uncomfortably on his collar.  He looked at his reflection in the floor-length mirror and he had to admit Tseng was right—he looked good in the business suit.  The only problem was he felt like he was choking.  He tugged on the collar again and Tseng smiled softly.

 

            “You’ll grow used to it, in time,” the black-haired Turk assured him. Coming up behind him to place his hands over his shoulders.  He looked Reno in the eye through the reflection and brought his lips close to his ear.  “Rufus will be pleased.”

 

            A little shiver passed through Reno’s body, invoked not only by the promise that Rufus would like the way he looked in the suit, but by Tseng’s touch and his low, purring voice.  He looked at the bindi mark on the Wutaian’s head, knowing enough about the culture to understand it was meant to symbolize the Third Eye.  Tseng certainly seemed to be possessed of precognitive foresight and knowledge.  The mark gave Reno an idea.

 

            “Hey Tseng, is there a good tattoo parlor anywhere up here?”  He hadn’t had the chance to look around the upper city yet.

 

            “There’s only one in the city that I would recommend, in Sector nine,” the black-haired man said with an intrigued look.  “What did you have in mind, Reno?  I’m rather adept at body art if I do say so.  I could save you the trouble and discomfort of going to a public tattoo parlor.”

 

            Reno thought about it, looking at his reflection and studying his high cheekbones.  Rufus called him “Fox” all the time.  It was a gambit, but he thought the boss might appreciate some small, appropriate markings to brand Reno as his.  His loyalty and appreciation to the VP was so strong, he felt a need to have it permanently symbolized. 

 

            “I was thinking about a claw mark here,” he traced his left cheekbone, “and here,” he traced his right.  “Nothing fancy or too conspicuous, but red.  Maybe the same color as my hair, yo.  What do you think?”

 

            Tseng studied him for a moment, visualizing the redhead with the markings.  He nodded and met Reno’s eyes in the reflection again.  “I think that sounds quite fetching.  Why don’t you come to my place tonight and I can do that for you?”

 

            “Cool,” Reno grinned.

 

~*************************************~

 

            “He cleans up rather well, don’t you think?” Tseng commented as he led Reno into the boss’ office and presented the redhead for Rufus’ inspection.  Reno stood behind and to the right of the Wutaian, his hands clasped behind his back as he looked at the VP’s face and tried to read his expression.

 

            Rufus let his eyes caress the newly recruited Turk, admiring the way the suit fit his slim frame.  He could see that Reno was uncomfortable but it wasn’t until the young redhead impulsively reached up and tugged on his collar that he understood why.  Rufus smiled.  “I think he looks fantastic, but I don’t believe our fox likes to be collared.”

 

            Tseng frowned a little at Reno.  He’d warned him not to fidget in front of the VP but the redhead had some disciplinary flaws to smooth out.  He was a patient man though.  He understood that Reno was unaccustomed to the feel of a suit and a buttoned-up collar and tie.  “In good time,” he assured Rufus.  “I’ve assigned a cell phone to him and sent you the number.  Next, I intend to take him to the weapons development center and after that I’ll introduce him to his new partner.”

 

            Rufus nodded, imagining how enthusiastic Reno was going to be when he saw all of the weapons he could choose from.  He wished that he could go with just to watch the energetic redhead’s reactions, but he had too many other things to take care of first before he could relax.  “That sounds perfect, Tseng.  I would like for Reno to come to my office when you’re finished with him.”  His eyes caressed the redhead shamelessly, leaving little doubt that he had intentions that had little to nothing to do with business.

 

            Reno swallowed, imagining what it would be like to finally act on the attraction he shared with the VP.  He hadn’t fooled around with anyone willingly for a while, so these days all it took was a stiff breeze to give him a happy. 

 

~**************************************~

 

            Reno was like a playful kit when Tseng took him to the weapons department and told him to choose a gun and a secondary weapon of his choice.  The Wutaian watched with a subtle smile as the redhead fooled with various items, from swords to brass knuckles to knives.  Finally the young recruit caught sight of a fighting rod and he picked it up and studied it. 

 

            “Yo, what’s this switch do?”  Without waiting for an answer, Reno pushed the switch at the bottom of the rod.  Blue sparks of electricity danced along the metal length of the weapon and his ponytail fluffed up like a fox’s tail.  “Whoa…I’ll take it!”

 

            Tseng covered his mouth to hold back a laugh.  “Be careful with that, Reno.  Perhaps you should practice with it for a while and get more attuned to it, before using it in a real fight.  I don’t care for the thought of you accidentally stunning yourself.”

 

            Reno shrugged and fastened the leather bracelet that connected to the strap attachment at the bottom of the weapon around his wrist.  He tested it, letting it dangle and flicking his wrist to catch it in his hand.  Tseng watched him spin the rod and practice for a few moments, amused with his enthusiasm as well as impressed with his dexterity. 

 

“I think I can get a handle on it, yo,” Reno commented after a while, “It’s a lot like the baton I was using before.”

 

            “Very good,” Tseng nodded.  “I’ll just sign for it and we can move on to the sparring room.  Your new partner is waiting to meet you there.”

 

            “What if I don’t like him?” Reno asked bluntly, “Or maybe he won’t like me.”

 

            “It will be a trial partnership in the beginning,” Tseng assured him, “we prefer to make good matches, so whether the two of you become permanent partners will depend on how well you cooperate with each other, both socially and in combat.”

 

~****************************************~

 

            Reno’s partner was a big, tall guy with light brown skin and handsome, masculine features.  His head was bald and his upper lip and chin was accented with carefully groomed mustache and beard stubble.  Dark, designer shades concealed his eyes and he had several piercings in his left ear and two hoops in his right lobe. 

 

            _~Sharp,~_ Reno thought as he and Tseng stopped before the tall man.  _~Not to mention sexy.  I’m not usually into big guys but he’s got magnetism, yo.~_

            “Reno, meet your new partner Rude,” Tseng introduced,  “The two of you will be doing a bit of sparring today, testing your ability to work together against opponents.  Rude, please make our newest member feel welcome.”

 

            The bald man nodded and held out a big hand for Reno to shake.  The redhead took it, expecting it to squeeze his smaller hand painfully.  Instead, Rude’s grip was firm and warm and not at all painful.  “Pleasure,” the big man said softly.  Reno liked his voice.

 

            _~Cripes, I haven’t met an ugly Turk yet.  Is it just coincidence or do they deliberately go for looks as much as skills when they recruit?~_

            “Rude, eh?” Reno tasted the name.  “Is that short for Rudy or something?”

 

            Rude shook his head.  “Just Rude.”

 

            “Not as in ‘bad manners’,” Tseng explained with a little smile before Reno could make a cocky remark.

 

            “I figured as much,” Reno answered dryly.  “Well, I’m good to go, big guy.  Where do we start, yo?”

 

            “Right through here in the sparring room,” Tseng answered, gesturing to them as he pushed through a set of steel double-doors. 

 

            They walked through into a large gym, where several people were already sparring or using punching bags.  The floors were completely padded and so were the walls.  Reno leaned closer to Rude and muttered; “looks kind of like an asylum room or something, yo.”

 

            Rude shrugged.  “It’s better than cracking your skull open on a hard floor.”

 

            Reno winced.  “Good point, man.”

 

            Tseng instructed them to move to one of the white-marked sections of the mat, presumably reserved for heavy sparring activity.  He then moved around the room and selected half a dozen of the resident occupants to join them in the squared-off area, ordering them to position themselves in a circle around Rude and the newest Turk.

 

            “Somehow I get the idea this isn’t supposed to be a fair fight,” Reno muttered as he put his back against Rude’s and fell into a fighting stance.  He felt the big man tense behind him and his solid presence was reassuring.

 

            “Begin,” Tseng commanded.

 

            Everyone exploded into motion.  Rude caught his first attacker’s fists in his big hands and headbutted him, while Reno swept one guy’s feet out from under him and ducked the attack of another one.  Feeling like his tie and collar were restricting his breathing too much, the young redhead unzipped his jacked, yanked his collar off and flicked the top three buttons of his shirt open as soon as he had a few precious seconds to do so. 

 

            “Comin’ underneath,” Warned Rude as he ducked and rolled backwards.  Reno caught on easily and rolled over the top of his back, kicking out as he landed on the other side and knocking an attacking female right off her feet.  Rude picked a guy up bodily and threw him into his charging comrades.  It gave Reno an idea and as three of their opponents regrouped and prepared to advance again, he turned his head to address his partner.

 

            “Throw me at ‘em, man.”

 

            Rude’s eyebrows shot up for a second and he shrugged.  “Okay.”

 

            Tseng frowned in confusion as he watched the bald man unceremoniously pick up the smaller redhead and hurl him directly into the oncoming group of opponents.  Reno twirled nimbly in the air and kicked out with both legs, hitting them like a little red tornado.  The three men ended up spread out on the mat, groaning as Reno shot a cheeky grin over his shoulder at Rude and gave him the thumbs-up sign.  Tseng’s eyebrows went up.  He’d sensed that these two would compliment one another but he hadn’t expected them to fall so quickly and naturally into synchronization. 

 

            It went on for another twenty minutes, with Rude and Reno experimenting with different tactics ranging from brilliant to reckless.  At one point the redhead tried to clamor over Rude’s back and the big man shouted a complaint when the hard heels of his shoes dug into his spine.  Reno muttered an apology and while he was distracted, one of the opponents caught him from behind in a sleeper hold.  Tseng hadn’t chosen weak opponents so the redhead couldn’t easily break free of the restraint.  Rude tried to intervene but two of the other opponents closed in on him and he was forced to fight them off.

 

            Satisfied with the way the two of them had worked together and fought off uneven odds for so long, Tseng decided to put an end to it.  “Enough.”

 

            They stopped what they were doing, breathing heavily and sweating with exertion.  “Yo, wouldn’t it have made more sense for us to change into something more…fighty?” Reno commented breathlessly.

 

            “You represent this organization now,” Tseng replied, “When you’re on the job, this is what you’ll be wearing and more often than not, what you’ll be fighting in.  I suggest you get used to it.  Excellent work, everyone.  I’m pleased.  Reno, you and Rude may freshen up and change into fresh uniforms.  Get something to eat after you’ve showered and then Reno is to report to the Vice President’s office, please.”

 

            Reno nodded, wondering how the Wutaian managed to go from friendly and gentle to strict and businesslike.  It was no wonder the man was up for a promotion.  Reno didn’t think he could ever separate business from pleasure as professionally as Tseng did.  The black-haired Turk left and the sparring opponents shook hands with Reno and Rude. 

 

            “You two are tight,” one of them said with a grin.  “Those were some mad moves you did.  Where’d you learn them?”

 

            Reno exchanged a look with Rude and they both shrugged.  “Made it up as we went along, man,” Reno said with a cocky little half-grin.  He slapped hands with the bigger man, noticing a subtle grin on Rude’s face.  Their opponents bore expressions of doubt and envy.

 

~*******************************~

 

            “You don’t talk much, yo.”  Reno sipped his cocktail and studied the man sitting beside him at the refreshment bar. 

 

            Rude glanced at him sidelong.  “You make up for it,” he returned.

 

            Miffed, Reno gave him a sour look.  “Well excuuuse me.”

 

            “Didn’t say I minded it,” Rude shot back.

 

            “Oh,” Reno said, smiling a little.  He liked the big guy already.  Rude was like the yin to his yang—very different in personality and fighting style but easy to talk to and fight with.  Reno finished his drink and checked his watch.  “Yo, I’d better get upstairs to see the boss.  I don’t wanna keep him waiting too long.”

 

            Rude nodded.  “You might want to straighten up your suit first.”

 

            Reno looked down at his open-collared shirt and unzipped blazer.  Grumbling softly, did up the top buttons, zipped his jacket and took the balled-up tie out of his pocket.  Rude watched him sidelong as he struggled to get the tie secured right.  He took a drink of his beer to hide the smile trying to surface as the cute redhead muttered curses.  He personally thought the open-collar look suited Reno’s looks and personality better but Tseng was strict on the dress code.

 

            “Here,” Rude offered after a few moments, reaching out to help.  Reno settled down and huffed a sigh as the bald man worked the tie with practiced hands and soon had it secured and smoothed out.  Rude studied him mutely when the job was finished and Reno felt the urge to fidget.

 

            “What?” asked the redhead.

 

            “Just looks wrong for you,” Rude shrugged.  “I like it better your way.”

 

            Reno grinned at him.  “Thanks, yo.”

 

~**************************************~

 

            “Come in, Reno,” Rufus put his paperwork away and looked up at the redhead, who had just knocked and poked his head around the door.

 

            Reno entered the office and shut the door behind him.  Rufus pushed a button on his desk and there was a click as the door locked.  The redhead looked at the door, then at Rufus.  “Should I be worried, boss?” he said, only half-teasing.

 

            Rufus smiled crookedly.  “Only if you’re claustrophobic.  I simply don’t want anyone walking in to interrupt us.  Why don’t you come here, Reno?”

 

            Reno complied, strolling across the room with casual ease despite his earlier hint of nervousness.  Rufus motioned for him to come around behind the desk and the redhead obeyed, looking at him curiously.

 

            Rufus swiveled in his designer, wooden office chair and studied the redhead.  “The stiff dress code of the Turks doesn’t quite suit you, Fox.  It looks great but you seem uncomfortable.”

 

            Reno looked down at himself and smirked.  “Must be pretty obvious to everyone.  Rude said the same thing and to tell you honestly Sir, I feel kind of choked, yo.”

 

            Rufus nodded.  “You need room to breathe.  I understand that.  Tseng has informed me that you and Rude made quite an impression in your sparring match this afternoon.  Did you enjoy it?”

 

            The redhead nodded enthusiastically.  “We had a great time, yo.  He was real easy to work with.”

 

            “So you feel it’s a good match?” Rufus inquired.

 

            Reno shrugged.  “I’m not jumping to any conclusions just yet, but if today was any clue then yeah, I think I’m going to like being teamed up with him.”

 

            “Good,” Rufus purred.  “You compliment one another.  Come, have a seat.”  He rolled the chair back a bit and patted his lap, looking up at the redhead expectantly.

 

            Reno shifted uncomfortably as his crotch pulled taut.  “You sure I’m not going to be too heavy, Sir?”

 

            “Nonsense,” Rufus smiled, reaching up to slide his fingers under the redhead’s tie.  He tugged on it, making Reno stagger for balance.  “I’ve been a gentleman where you’re concerned for long enough, Reno.  I assure you, my lap won’t break.”  He steadily drew the Turk down until Reno complied and eased into his lap, straddling him.  “There now,” Rufus murmured in satisfaction as he loosened the tie and pulled it over Reno’s head.  “Let’s make you more comfortable, hmm?”

 

            Reno threaded his fingers into Rufus’ ash blonde hair and didn’t object as the VP tugged the zipper of his blazer down and worked at the buttons of his shirt.  He breathed easier when the restricting collar was opened, smiling at his boss with mischievous curiosity.  “You gonna sexually harass me now, Sir?”

 

            Rufus stopped, his groin throbbing in response to the hot, bold question.  “Would it be harassment, I wonder?”

 

            “Okay, you got me,” Reno smirked.  “Can’t harass the willing, yo.”

 

            Rufus continued unbuttoning the Turk’s shirt, parting the material as he went to expose more of his smooth, pale chest.  It was very difficult to imagine that Reno was a virgin, as shamelessly flirtatious as he was.  Still, there was something beneath the surface—a hint of nervous fear that Rufus believed wasn’t just attributed to the fact that was the first opportunity they’d had to do more than kiss lightly.

 

            _~Better to find out for sure now, before this goes any further.~_

As badly as he wanted to take Reno right then and there, he wanted him absolutely ready and positively begging for it when the time came.  There were certain…training measures…he intended to take in the first place, but the methods needed to be adjusted accordingly if Reno had never experienced anal penetration before.  There was that, and there were the rules.  Rufus didn’t expect his lovers to keep only to him when he didn’t do the same for them, but he had certain expectations of Reno that needed to be addressed.

 

“Reno,” Rufus murmured as he slipped a hand into his open shirt and kissed his throat, “there are some things I’d like to discuss with you.”  He nearly groaned as he explored his subordinate’s chest with his hand.  The skin was so soft and the muscles so sleek beneath the surface.  He’d been waiting for this opportunity for so long.

 

Reno gasped a little as his boss’ fingertips rubbed his left nipple in a gentle circle, making it tingle and harden.  “You wanna talk?  Now?” he said incredulously.  “Uh…Sir,” he added in hindsight.

 

Rufus chuckled against his throat, licking the silken skin briefly.  How was it that Reno managed to carry a faint scent and flavor of cinnamon all the time?  “It’s rather important to our relationship,” he explained.  “I promise you, we can move on to more…pleasant…endeavors once we’ve agreed on my terms.”

 

Reno couldn’t contain a sigh as he looked down at Rufus with annoyed, blue-green eyes.  “Okay, fire away, yo.”

 

Rufus suddenly swatted Reno’s right ass cheek firmly with his free hand, making the redhead jump and stare at him with surprise and curiosity.  “First rule,” the VP said as he rubbed the stinging cheek soothingly, “You will keep a respectful tone with me and I give the orders, not you.  Under certain circumstances a bit of straying can be forgiven—even encouraged—but when we’re having a discussion, I demand respect.  Is that clear?”

 

“Crystal,” Reno answered breathlessly.  He surprised Rufus by lowering his mouth to his and kissing him, his pink tongue flicking out teasingly over the VP’s lips. 

 

Rufus squeezed the butt cheek he was rubbing and lost his train of thought for a moment.  The tantalizing, dainty way Reno’s tongue traced his lips was enthralling and entirely unique.  Reluctantly, he dragged the hand that was fondling the redhead’s nipple up to cup Reno’s jaw and force him to be still. 

 

“Don’t change the subject,” Rufus rasped. 

 

Reno smiled craftily at him.  “Yes, Sir.”

 

Rufus closed his eyes and took a steadying breath, amazed at how that one, baiting little kiss had scattered his thoughts so easily.  “Secondly,” he continued huskily as he looked into the redhead’s eyes again, “I need to know if you’ve got a virginal ass.”

 

Reno frowned.  “What difference does that make, Sir?”

 

“It makes a difference in what methods I intend to use when I take you,” Rufus said bluntly, figuring that honesty was best when it came to this subject.  “I would prefer to break you in first, but if you’d rather your first time be awkward and painful you could choose to tell me you aren’t virginal even if you are.  It’s your choice, Reno.”

 

Reno flushed and he wasn’t sure if it was from embarrassment or arousal.  He squirmed in the blonde’s lap, his erection becoming painful.  “Got it,” he said softly, lowering his eyes.  “All right, so I’m a virgin.”  He raised his eyes again and looked at Rufus through his lashes, smirking suggestively.  “I ain’t inexperienced though, Sir.”

 

Rufus was again breathless. 

 

 _~Shiva’s breath, prostitutes could take seduction lessons from him!~_      

 

            The young Vice-President found it difficult to speak past the burn of lust in his throat.  “With your mannerisms and kissing skills, I don’t doubt it.”  He cleared his throat to keep his voice from breaking.  “Now, on the matter of intimacy, I have certain rules.”

 

            “Is there gonna be a pop-quiz on this?” Reno murmured with a grin, “’Cause if there is I’m gonna need the book to take home and study, yo.”

 

            Rufus smacked his bottom again and the Turk gave a little yelp and kissed him again, more aggressively this time.  Reno was whimpering softly against his lips in a decidedly needy, uke-ish way.

 

            “Oh, god,” Rufus gasped before he could help himself.  He thrust his tongue past Reno’s parted lips and explored his mouth hungrily for a moment squeezing the redhead’s tight little ass firmly in his excitement.  He very nearly decided to hang the rest of the conversation and satisfy his urges, but somehow he regained control of himself and broke the kiss, reaching up to grab the base of Reno’s ponytail and hold his head still.

 

            “Now listen to me,” Rufus insisted roughly when the Turk hissed a little and let up.  “You belong to me now—“

 

            “I ain’t arguing that,” Reno interrupted breathlessly.

 

            Rufus tugged the ponytail firmly, making the extroverted redhead go silent again.  “—And I will be your first, understood?”

 

            “Yes Sir,” Reno breathed, rubbing the bulge in his crotch against Rufus’ enticingly. 

 

            “Stop that,” the VP gasped roughly, avoiding giving Reno another swat on the ass now that he knew it only turned him on more.  He was beginning to consider that breaking Reno in would involve taming a bit of that impulsiveness of his…at least enough to keep him from driving Rufus out of control with every encounter.  When the redhead reluctantly obeyed, Rufus shook his head in amazement.  “Now, as I was saying; I keep open relationships with my lovers—meaning they are free to have relations outside of ours and vice-versa.  You’re special, however.”

 

            “Is this gonna turn into one of those ‘sacred virginity’ talks, Sir?”

 

            Rufus sighed and took his left hand off the redhead’s ass to pull open a drawer.  Reno’s eyes widened when he pulled out a ball gag.  “Open your mouth,” the VP ordered.  He expected a protest but Reno shrugged and obeyed.  Rufus fit the ball between the redhead’s teeth and secured the strap around the back of his head.  He liked the way Reno’s shapely lips fit around the spongy ball and his cock twitched in his pants.

 

            “Now, perhaps I can finish what I was saying without interruption,” Rufus declared.

 

            “Mmph?” Reno mumbled, his sea-green eyes twinkling mischievously.

 

            Rufus pinched his lips to keep from chuckling and cleared his throat.  “As I was saying,” he continued once again, “You’re free to explore your sexuality within our little ‘family’, but outsiders are forbidden fruit unless approved by me and nobody gets in here—” he pressed his fingers lightly between the Turk’s butt cheeks, “—before me.  I want the privilege of being your first.  Can you agree to those terms, Fox?”

 

            Reno thought he was going to disgrace himself and come in his pants right there.  He made a show of thinking about it and then shrugged and nodded, tracing Rufus’ throat and collar with his fingertips.  The VP relaxed beneath him, seeming to be satisfied with his agreement of the terms. 

 

            _~Maybe I should be offended that he’s trying to rule my personal sex life like this but there’s something insanely hot about it.  God I’m horny…is he gonna pop my cherry tonight or what?~_

            Rufus stroked Reno’s bared stomach with the palm of one hand, making him squirm in his lap.  “I’m quite pleased,” he said as he kissed the redhead’s throat again.  Reno moaned behind the ball gag and Rufus practically shuddered with excitement at the sound.  He’d never heard anyone moan quite like that.  The sound was pure sex to his ears and he was barely able to resist unzipping Reno’s pants and satisfying his desire to see and touch the redhead’s swollen groin.  Instead, he reached up and pulled the gag off.

 

            “Thank you, Sir,” Reno said breathlessly, trying to lean in for another kiss. 

 

            Rufus shook his head and gave him a firm look.  Reno paused and cocked his head with curious confusion and Rufus set the ball gag on his desk and buttoned up the Turk’s shirt.  Realizing what was happening, the redhead protested.

 

            “That’s it??”

 

            Rufus contained a smile and finished doing up all but the top three buttons.  He patted the Turk’s firm bottom and scooted back again, easing the resisting young man off of his lap.  The look on Reno’s fair face was so utterly bewildered that Rufus almost lost his resolve. 

 

            “That’s it for tonight, Reno,” the young VP said in a firm tone, “consider it your first lesson.  When I think you’re truly ready, I’ll give you more.”

 

            _~In other words, when you’re a little red whirlwind of lust and need…not that I think it will take long to bring you to that point, the way you’ve reacted to my advances tonight.~_

            Reno’s mouth worked as he stammered protests and tried to think of something to say to convince his boss to change his mind.  Rufus just stared up at him expectantly.  Finally, with a little pout he didn’t even realize he was making, the new Turk nodded.  “Whatever you say, Sir.”

 

            “You’re free to go,” Rufus said softly, smiling a little.  “I’ll see you tomorrow, Fox.”

 

~******************************************~

 

            _Man, I STILL look back on that night and call him a bastard in my head.  I almost changed my mind about marking myself for him, I was so pissed off and disappointed.  For the first time in my life, I was ready, willing and able for it and the guy snubbed me after getting me so hot I could have creamed myself on command.  I get what he was doing now, but back then it was almost unbearable and I didn’t understand it for shit._

_I took a cab to Tseng’s apartment anyway, figuring even if I chickened out of getting the tattoos I could have someone to hang with for a while, yo.  When he’s not being a nag about the dress code and public behavior, Tseng is real easy to hang out with.  He’s always calm and polite and…I dunno…soothing, I guess._

_He welcomed me with that gentle smile of his and poured me some Wutaian rice wine—which I thought tasted sort of like tea but it gave me that warm, fuzzy feeling after only two glasses.  After a while I felt relaxed enough to forgive Rufus for being such a dickhead and I asked Tseng to go ahead and do the tattoos we’d talked about earlier that day.  I knew they were supposed to hurt but Tseng rubbed some sort of mint-smelling oil on my skin where it was going to get done and it numbed it so that it only stung a little bit when he got started on the tattoos._

_Like I said before, it was a gamble and I couldn’t be sure Rufus would even like it.  I knew I’d be fucked if he didn’t, because tats aren’t something you can easily get rid of once you’ve got ‘em, yo._

~**************************************~

 

-To be continued


	5. Chapter 5

“Thanks for the Memories”

A Reno fanfiction

Chapter 5: “Branded”

~*******************************************~

*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all characters therein belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can’t get enough of this world and the characters.*

~***********************************************~

 

 

            _I ended up staying the night at Tseng’s after we finished my tats. He’s got a really nice place, with all these Wutaian scrolls, vases and sculptures. It was sort of exotic to me, but cool. That was the first time I saw him with his hair down and he was kind of beautiful to me, yo. At the time it wasn’t as long as mine is in the back—it was all one length and fell to his shoulders. I told him he should let it grow out and he smiled and said he’d think about it. We watched the late news and then got into bed. I expected to sleep on the sofa but he insisted I sleep in the bed with him. Hell, I didn’t mind that…I thought something might happen but he just put an arm around me and went to sleep. It was…nice. Comforting._

_The next day my skin was swollen where the new tats were but Tseng put some kind of herbal anti-inflammatory ointment on it and it went down. He gave me a little vial of it and told me to use it twice a day until the irritation went away. It made me wonder what he did for a living before he became a Turk, but I knew there was an unspoken rule—don’t ask. If a fellow Turk wants you to know about his or her past, they’ll tell you._

_Tseng let me use his shower when we got up and he used the bath in the other bathroom. He even let me borrow a robe while he washed and dried my suit, since I hadn’t brought another to change into, yo. We barely had a chance to finish eating breakfast when my cellphone rang. It was the boss and he had my first assignment with Rude. He wanted us to get a package for him from some guy in sector eight. I didn’t ask what was in the package and I didn’t think it was going to be a big deal, even though Rufus warned that the guys selling it might try to scam us and that we should be ready for a fight._

~********************************~

 

            Reno met up with Rude in a coffee shop on the plate. They ordered some coffee before starting on their assignment, falling into easy companionship that was pleasantly surprising to them both. Rude studied the freshly tattooed markings on Reno’s cheekbones and the redhead waited expectantly for his input.

 

            “Looks good on you,” Rude said after a moment, thinking they accented the smaller man’s features just right. He was going to ask what inspired Reno to have such unusual markings tattooed on his face but he didn’t know if it was a personal question or not.

 

            “Thanks, man,” Reno said as he set his coffee down. “It’s kind of symbolic. You know, a sign of loyalty for ShinRa turning my life around.”

 

            Rude nodded and looked at the shaded goggles sitting on Reno’s forehead. Reno grinned, getting used to the big man’s reserved, quiet nature. “These are just handy to have, yo. I don’t like wearing ‘em all the time but it’s good to have ‘em available.”

 

            “Cool,” Rude said, downing the rest of his espresso. He checked his watch. “We should get going soon.”

 

            Reno nodded in agreement and finished his coffee. They paid the bill, left a generous tip for the waitress and made their way to the train station. For the first time, Reno noticed the change in the way people reacted to him. They studied him with respectful curiosity and moved aside as he and Rude came near—of course the latter could just as easily be attributed to the bald man’s intimidating good looks. When they boarded the passenger car, people kept a respectful distance. Reno smirked as he took a seat beside his partner.

 

            “I think I like the respect that comes with this uniform, yo,” he whispered.

 

            Rude glanced at him and his lips curved slightly. “I notice you’re not wearing it right though.”

 

            “You gonna tell on me to Tseng, big guy?” Reno winked at him and the other Turk snorted.

 

            “Just don’t let him see you wearing it like that,” Rude muttered, feeling his face warm a little in reaction to the redhead’s sly grin and wink. “I’d rather avoid the drama.”

 

            “Yeah, yeah,” Reno shrugged. He pulled out his cell phone and started dialing a number. After a few rings, a woman’s voice picked up. “Hey Ma,” Reno said with such warmth that Rude looked at him again. “Sorry I didn’t call last night. I was busy learning the ropes at my new job. Well, you know…I’m working with the VP of ShinRa. That’s right. No, nothing dangerous. I just run errands for him and fly him places in his chopper when he needs it. Yeah, I know…just like I always wanted, yo. I loved it! So anyway, I’ve got some good news for you. If you’re not busy tomorrow I’d like to take you up to the plate and look at real estate. No, I’m not joking, Ma. I’ve got a big enough salary to set you up the way you deserve, no arguing! What do you say?”

 

            Reno paused and smiled. “You got it. I’ll have to stop by the shop and drop off some paperwork first, but that’ll only take a few minutes. I’ll call you when I’m on my way to get you, okay? Love you Ma.” He hung up and replaced his phone in his pocket. Noticing his partner looking at him, he frowned. “What? Something wrong with a guy loving his Ma?”

 

            “Just thought it was kind of cool,” Rude shrugged. “I never had that sort of connection to mine.”

 

            “Oh,” Reno said, flushing a little with guilt for drawing the wrong conclusion. He felt a little sorry for the dark-skinned man. “Well, not everyone is tight with their parents, yo. I guess me and my Ma are the exception instead of the rule, you know?” Struck with sudden inspiration, the redhead smiled. “Yo Rude, wanna come with me tomorrow and meet her? I’ll bet she’d like you.”

 

            Rude coughed and mumbled something, then shrugged uncomfortably. “I don’t know if that’s appropriate,” he finally said.

 

            “Pffft, gimme a break,” Reno scoffed. “How can it be inappropriate? It’s not like I’m trying to set you up with her so you can be my new Daddy or something.”

 

            Rude flushed. Somehow the way Reno said “Daddy” sounded…naughty. “I didn’t say that,” he muttered.

 

            Reno grinned, seeing the big man’s cheeks darkening a little. “You’re my partner, right? I’d like you to meet my Ma and maybe go with us to pick out a new place for her. You’ve been on the plate longer than I have so you know your way around. What do you say? I’ll buy you a round of drinks when we’re done, yo.”

 

            Rude stared at him, trying to think of a way to say “no”. The redhead stared back, his sea-green eyes open, inviting and friendly. Reno was frankly irresistible and the bald Turk sighed and nodded.

 

            _~I’m doomed.~_

 

~******************************~

 

            “Yo, we’re here to see Martin,” Reno said to the man that opened the door when he and Rude arrived at the appointed address. The guy was rough looking, with wiry brown hair and a scar running diagonally down his left cheek.

 

            “Who are you?”

 

            “Turks,” Rude answered coolly. “We’re expected.”

 

            The grungy thug scowled and opened the door. “This way,” he said, “don’t try anything funny.”

 

            “Yo, do we look like a pair of comedians to you?” Reno quipped. The guy tensed when the redhead slapped his Electro-Mag Rod against his open palm.

 

            Rude was a bit more congenial. “We’re just here to collect the package and we’ll be out of your way.”

 

            “Don’t think you’re not being watched,” the guy warned as he motioned for them to follow him. Rude shut the door behind them and stayed alert as they walked through the foyer of the large house and followed the man through to the dining room area. Reno was studying the wall hangings with fake interest, covertly keeping on his guard. Rufus had warned him to stay sharp and not to let the package holder go over the agreed price.

 

            The dining room walls were wooden-paneled and the floors were tiled with granite. There was a dark-haired man who looked to be in his mid-thirties sitting at the table, with two rough looking men on either side of him. The atmosphere of the entire house seemed dark and oppressive to Reno. He felt like the walls were oozing corruption and he frowned, wanting to brush imaginary bugs off of his clothing even though the place was clean and tidy.

 

            “These are the Turks, here for the package,” announced the guide.

 

            “Martin,” acknowledged Rude with a nod. “We were sent here by Rufus ShinRa. I’m Rude and this is my partner Reno.”

 

            “Yo,” Reno said, giving a two-fingered wave.

 

            “You have my money?” Martin asked.

 

            Rude hefted the briefcase he carried onto the table and worked the combination lock until it clicked open. Reno’s eyes almost bugged out when he saw layers of neatly stacked bills. Having shown the man the money, Rude closed the case and took it off of the table. Reno shook himself out of it and gave Martin a level look.

 

            “The package,” Reno reminded. He sensed approval from Rude and he nearly grinned.

 

            Martin stared at him for a moment and Reno just stared right back, keeping his weapon resting casually against his right shoulder. Martin looked at Rude, who was standing as still as a statue beside the redhead, practically towering over him. “Get the package,” Martin ordered the thug that had opened the door, without taking his eyes off of the two Turks. The doorman left the dining room, heading down another hallway beside the open arch that lead to the kitchen.

 

            “Why don’t you fellas have a seat?” Offered Martin in a forced tone of solicitousness.

            “We’re fine where we are,” Rude said firmly.

 

            The minutes ticked by until Reno began to lose patience, but then his ears picked up the sound of a struggle and dragging feet returning from down the hallway. He heard a muffled voice that sounded feminine and he looked at Rude with a frown. Rude shrugged, indicating that he was as puzzled as the redhead. The scarred man returned to the kitchen dragging a gagged, cuffed young woman with brown eyes and wavy, light brown hair that fell to her shoulders. She looked to be around Reno’s age. She was wearing a Turk suit that was somewhat worse for the wear.

 

            _~THAT’S the package?~_ Thought Reno as he stared, _~A girl?~_

            “As we agreed,” Martin said as the scarred man forced the girl into a seat by the table, “We’ll give you the girl back when you hand over the money.”

 

            The girl in question glared at her captors and tried to kick out at the scarred man. He backhanded her across the face and after that, all hell broke loose. Rude acted purely on instinct, drawing his concealed gun from inside of his jacket and firing at the girl’s assailant in one smooth motion. The muffled shot wasn’t loud enough to provoke a big reaction but the blood that sprayed from the hole that appeared in the scarred man’s throat to shower Martin certainly did. The scarred man fell to the floor, clutching his neck for a few seconds before dying.

 

            Everyone in the room was utterly still, staring at the body. Then Reno spoke.

 

            “What the fuck…you shot him, man!”

 

            Rude looked just as surprised as everyone else. “Yeah…well, the Turks don’t compromise with punks that kidnap our own, man.”

 

            Reno saw the other men reaching for their weapons and he knew he only had seconds to act. “Aw, shit!”

 

The redhead jumped onto the table and clamored across the top of it, swinging his rod at Martin while kicking out at the guy to the left of him. Evidently Martin had more men in other rooms of the house because they could hear raised voices coming from down the hall. The girl twisted in her chair and kicked the guy to Martin’s right three times in the face. He slumped to the floor in a daze. Rude met the first goon at the kitchen entrance and before the man could take in the scene happening, the bald man put his arm around his neck and slammed his fist into his face until he fell unconscious.

 

            Somehow the captive girl had slipped her cuffed hands under her legs so that they were in the front and she tore her gag away from her mouth and shouted a warning to Rude as she saw a goon aiming a gun at him. The big man ducked just in time and several bullet holes peppered the wall where his head had been a moment ago.

 

            Reno had electricity dancing on his rod and he stunned Martin’s man on the left before clubbing the boss himself in the temple. He heard the gunfire behind him and he dove over the end of table, wisely disarming the electric charge on his rod as he did so to avoid getting himself with it. He could see Rude crouching at the other end of the table and he watched the bald man draw his gun again to return fire. Reno slid the gun that had fallen from Martin’s hand across the floor to the girl and she took it, her handcuffs making it awkward but not impossible for her to use the weapon. That accomplished, Reno pulled his own gun and crawled under the table to his partner’s side.

 

            “Hell of a way to start the day,” Reno grunted. Their attackers were using the hallway as cover.

 

            “The case has a bomb rigged to it for hairy situations like this,” Rude said in a low voice. “Any ideas on how we could deliver it and get the hell out before it goes off?”

 

            “There’s a back door,” the Turk girl said. “They’re trying to keep us from using it. Just rig it and let’s go!”

 

            Rude and Reno shrugged at each other and the big man opened the case. The girl kept firing at the opposition while her male companions took the money out of the case and stuffed it into their blazers. Rude set the bomb to go off in ten seconds.

 

            “Let’s move!” Reno hollered as the countdown began.

 

The three Turks scrambled out of the kitchen, with the girl in the lead and Rude taking up the rear. The bald man awkwardly fired his gun behind him to hold off the pursuit until they were far enough into the back hallway to have cover from the flying bullets. As soon as they were able to, they got to their feet and ran the rest of the way, following the girl through the hallway to a sunroom that led into a fenced, concrete back yard. Reno took up the lead, his long legs and agility lending him greater speed. He leaped over the fence and reached out for the girl as Rude picked her up from behind and lifted her.

 

            Reno grinned maniacally when he heard the sound of alarmed shouts in the house. Their pursuit had evidently reached the kitchen and seen the bomb counting down in the open suitcase. A second later, Rude leaped over the fence and their was an impressive explosion from inside of the house. The back of the structure buckled and broke apart, shooting glass, concrete and wood in all directions. The ground shook with the blast and the girl rolled into an alley. Reno felt Rude crash into him and the next thing he knew, the big man was on top of him and shielding him with his body.

 

            It took them a few moments to regain their senses. Rude lifted his head and stared down at his partner. “You okay man?”

 

            Reno coughed and blinked, looking back up at him with a little grin. “Fine, yo. Where’s the girl?”

 

            “I’m back here,” said the newly rescued young woman, walking out from the alley she’d ducked into. “Those bastards ambushed me on the job and tried to ransom me…but I guess you knew that already.”

 

            Reno exchanged a look with Rude. No, they hadn’t known that until they got here and saw that the “package” they were sent to retrieve was a human being. For a moment, Rude enjoyed the feel of his partner’s lithe body pressing against his and then he rolled off of him and got to his feet, brushing his suit off. The redhead likewise rolled to his feet and did the same.

 

            “We’d better leave before the fire brigade and police come,” Rude said. “The boss won’t like it if we’re seen on the scene.”

 

            “Good call,” Reno agreed. “Come on, let’s take a shortcut through the alleys and get a cab a couple of blocks over.” He looked at the girl and asked: “What’s your name, doll?”

 

            “The name’s Cissnei,” she answered, studying the two men appraisingly, “and I’m a Turk like you guys, not a ‘doll’. I don’t suppose either of you filched the keys to these things during the firefight?” She held up her cuffed wrists meaningfully.

 

            “Oooh, feisty,” Reno chuckled, “sorry, I didn’t see any keys. It’s not a problem though—I can pick the lock once we’re in the clear, yo.”

 

~************************************~

 

            As soon as they were safely a couple of blocks away from the site of the conflict, Reno produced a pocketknife with several tiny tool attachments. Ignoring the sounds of the sirens in the distance, he told Cissnei to hold her arms out and he worked on the cuffs deftly. Within moments, they clicked open and he took them off of her and pocketed them. She rubbed her wrists reflexively while Rude hailed a cab. The three Turks got in and told the driver to take them up to the plate lift.

 

            “Is the young Miss okay?” The driver asked when he noticed the bruise forming on Cissnei’s jaw.

 

            “I’m fine,” she said coolly, “Just drive.”

 

            Rude dialed Tseng’s number and held the phone to his ear. “We’ve retrieved the package, but there were complications,” he said softly when their superior answered the line.

 

            “Was anyone injured?” Tseng inquired calmly.

 

            “Only the contacts,” Rude answered.

 

            “I see. The money?” Was the next question.

 

            “We have it all. We…turned their offer down and gave a…counter offer of our own.”

 

            Tseng’s voice sounded pleased. “Excellent. The three of you are to report to the Vice President’s office as soon as you arrive. Good work, both of you.”

 

            “Thank you Sir. We’re on our way now.” Rude hung up and replaced his cellphone, debating on whether he should tell Reno that Tseng knew all along it was a rescue mission rather than a package pickup. He’d seen Reno’s temper and it was hard to predict what would set it off. Sure that Tseng and Rufus had their reasons for keeping information from them, the big man decided to leave it to them to explain to his partner.

 

~****************************************~

 

            “Go right in,” the receptionist said as she pushed the door open to Rufus’ office and gestured. “He’s expecting you. The President is with him, so try to be on your best behavior.”

 

            The three of them walked through the door and Reno saw a rather heavy-set man that he didn’t recognize, sitting in the lounge against the wall. The middle-aged man was dressed in a sharp, expensive red suit but that didn’t help his looks. He had thinning blonde hair and faded blue eyes. He had a cruel, scowling face and though Reno recognized a faint resemblance to Rufus in the eyes and hair color, it was clear that the VP had inherited his good looks from his mother. At least, the redhead assumed the chubby man was President Shinra because the only other people in the room were Rufus and Tseng.

 

            President Shinra got up out of his seat as the three Turks lined up before Rufus’ desk and stood straight and still. He eyed all three of them and he frowned without recognition as his gaze settled on Reno. “You must be the new one,” the older man said, studying him appraisingly. “Do those facial markings carry some spiritual significance, like Tseng’s?”

 

            Reno caught Rufus’ eyes and smiled a little. “Yes, Sir.”

 

            The President noticed the look and he glanced over his shoulder at his son, who was sitting behind his desk and studying Reno’s markings himself as if seeing them for the first time. President Shinra frowned with disapproval at the intimate way his son’s eyes caressed the redhead, but he couldn’t very well fire the new Turk because of a look.

 

            “Moving on to business,” The President said, clearing his throat to gather everyone’s attention, “I’ve been informed that the hostage exchange ended up in some rather spectacular fireworks. My orders were for you to retrieve Cissnei without drawing attention to this organization unless there was no other choice. You were supposed to make the exchange and leave, but instead I’m seeing news reports of a house exploding and seven corpses being retrieved from inside of it. I demand an explanation.”

 

            It was on the tip of Reno’s tongue to blurt out that they didn’t even know they were paying ransom for a hostage, but the warning look Tseng gave him from over the President’s shoulder made him hold his tongue. Obviously he would have to wait to ask his questions.

 

            “The situation demanded action,” Rude answered levelly. “We acted in the best interests of protecting the hostage, Sir.” It was the basic truth, after all. Rude fired the first shot but only after Cissnei’s captors struck her.

 

            “I see,” responded the President, “So you feel this couldn’t have been avoided?”

 

            “When we moved to protect her they opened fire,” Rude said—again telling the truth, if not in the full context.

 

            “It was them or us, Sir,” Reno added with a shrug.

 

            President Shinra considered this for a moment, looking at the three Turks searchingly. Finally, he sighed. “What happened to the gil?”

 

            “We’ve got it, yo,” Reno said. He walked over to Rufus’ desk and started pulling out the stacks of bills stuffed into his jacket. Rude did the same and before long they had every gil accounted for and laid out on the VP’s desk.

 

            President Shinra relaxed a little. “Well, I suppose there was no real harm done,” he said as he visually counted the gil. “I could even forgive the media attention this has drawn, since you didn’t get caught on the scene and now people will think twice before attempting to extort gil from this company. In the future, however, I would prefer the Turks use a bit less…enthusiasm…to get the job done. Rufus, have this gil re-deposited into the company account.”

 

            The president turned to Reno and frowned at the state of his suit. “Not bad for you first day on the job, young man, but I want you to either straighten that suit up or put on a new one. I won’t have slovenly looking employees representing this company.”

 

            Reno’s jaw tensed but he forced himself to nod respectfully. They watched the president leave the office and the redhead sighed when he was gone. “Well HE was a breath of fresh air,” he muttered sarcastically. He hadn’t meant to say it loud enough for anyone else to hear but evidently they did.

 

            “My father thinks he can rule the world with money,” Rufus said disdainfully, “which is why his first impulse is to toss gil at people to make them see his side of things. It’s wasteful and ultimately provokes more disdain than respect. That’s why I sent the two of you on this hostage exchange.”

 

            “Can I ask you something, Sir?” Reno questioned.

 

            “Of course,” Rufus smirked, as if he knew what the redhead was going to ask but wanted to hear it anyway.

 

            “Why didn’t you tell us we were picking up a hostage? Yo, I thought we were just buying a package from those suckers.”

 

            Tseng shared a look with Rufus and stepped forward. “Sir, may I?” When Rufus nodded, the Wutaian explained, “Reno, you WERE retrieving a package. What the package was is of no consequence. All assignments are to be carried out with the assumption that they are of great importance—otherwise the Turks wouldn’t be called to do them. Vice President Shinra chose the two of you because he had faith that you could succeed not only in retrieving Cissnei, but that you could do so without giving the culprits the ransom they demanded.”

 

            Reno absorbed all of this and shrugged. “Makes sense, I guess. So basically we’ve got a ‘no questions asked’ policy about assignments?”

 

            “Correct,” Rufus nodded. “You should be proud, Reno. The two of you played the game flawlessly, despite what my father says. I refuse to give into terrorists and when the day comes for me to take over ShinRa, I want employees that will act on that policy.”

 

            “Thank you, Sir,” Rude said. Reno echoed him, holding back a smile of pleasure.

 

            “Well,” Rufus said, “now that we’ve sorted that all out, I’d like to speak with Reno in private. Will the three of you please take this gil to the company bank and have it deposited where it belongs?”

 

            Tseng, Rude and Cissnei nodded in agreement and gathered the bills up, while Reno obeyed the beckoning gesture the boss made to him and moved around the left side of the desk.

 

            “Let me see those,” Rufus said to Reno, crooking a finger for him to bend closer. The redhead complied and Rufus examined the new crescent-like tattoos on the sides of each of his high cheekbones. He reached out and traced the right-side one lightly with his fingertip and Reno winced a little. The skin was slightly irritated and still tender to the touch. Rufus smiled softly and waited for the others to leave before commenting. When the door closed behind the exiting Turks, the VP pushed the automatic locking button.

 

            Turning back to Reno, he smiled. “I like them. They’re very appropriate for you, Fox.”

 

            “Yeah?” Reno said, returning the smile. “I wasn’t sure. You don’t seem like the sort of guy that gets into tats, but I wanted to do something to…well, you know, to…” He trailed off uncertainly, unsure of how to say what he felt to Rufus’ face.

 

            “Brand yourself as mine?” Rufus suggested in a purr.

 

            “Something like that, yeah. I know, it sounds pretty stupid—” Reno tried to finish, but Rufus caught hold of his jacket and pulled firmly, giving him the choice of falling into his lap or crashing to the floor. Reno twisted so that he plopped sideways into his boss’ waiting lap, huffing a startled curse. Before he could recover from the abrupt sitting, Rufus’ mouth was hot and insistent against his.

 

            His body reacted immediately to the demanding thrust of the VP’s tongue and Reno groaned softly and put his arms around his shoulders. Rufus supported his back with one arm and worked at the rest of the buttons on his shirt with the other. The ash-blonde moved his lips from Reno’s mouth to his throat as he parted the material and exposed the Turk’s chest and abdomen. His hand stroked and caressed the lithe torso while his lips and tongue kissed and licked his neck.

 

            Unable to stand the throb of lust spreading from his pelvis to the rest of his body, Reno began to reciprocate. He flicked open the buttons of Rufus’ business suit, eager to do some exploring of his own. He half expected the VP to stop him but he didn’t. Rufus’ fingers traced sensual patterns on his belly and Reno’s breath quickened as they moved lower and lower, drawing closer to the source of the pressure.

 

            “Sir,” Reno breathed as he felt the blonde’s hand settle between his legs for the first time. Rufus squeezed gently and began to rub the growing bulge there, murmuring a soft demand that Reno be still. The redhead swallowed and closed his eyes, doing his best to comply.   He busied himself with parting Rufus’ jacket and going for his shirt, sighing the VP’s name as the skilled hand leisurely massaged his crotch.

 

            Rufus suddenly stopped and Reno nearly whined with frustration. “Straddle me, Reno,” the other man ordered huskily.

 

Reno slid out of his lap and turned to face him before doing as he was told with dexterous ease. He looked into Rufus’ gray eyes and licked his lips daintily, watching his gaze follow the motion of his tongue. “Do you ever get out of this chair, boss?” Reno teased huskily, leaning forward and bending his head to nibble the other man’s earlobe.

 

Rufus chuckled softly and reached between the redhead’s legs again to resume his coaxing massage on his groin. “Of course, but I’ve a thing for ending the day with a sexy redhead straddling me in my office chair. When I’m not working, I’m exercising or researching.”

 

“I can think of a really great ‘exercise’ we could do together, yo,” Reno panted, nipping lightly at the boss’ throat.

 

~Fuck, his hand feels soooo good. He doesn’t just grope…he uses just the right pressure and he’s using the texture of my pants to…to…dammit, I…I think I’m gonna come!~

“Rufus,” Reno groaned, forgetting to address the man formally as his ministrations threatened to make him mess himself in his pants.

 

“Hold it back, Fox,” Rufus demanded sternly. “I’m not ready for you to come yet.”

 

Reno stared at him with open incredulity. “H-how the f-fuck do I do that?” he whimpered.

 

“Such language,” Rufus purred, kissing him deeply. He resumed massaging him in gentle circles, enjoying the hitching gasps and moans his fox made as he struggled to hold his building orgasm at bay. He paused for long enough to undo the redhead’s pants and he was pleasantly surprised to find that Reno went commando-style. He eased his subordinate’s rigid sex out of his pants and looked down at it for a moment, admiring the flushed cap and silken length before stroking the naked cock.

 

Reno undulated his hips and pawed at Rufus’ clothing desperately as the VP’s skilled touch made his groin and pelvic ache with hot need. He felt the material of the shirt rip a little but he didn’t care—his only concern was baring his companion’s skin and worshipping it with his mouth. Reno had never been with anyone that put so much focus on HIS pleasure before. He was used to his partners groping him for a bit…maybe giving him a quick blowjob, then leaving the rest of the hand and oral pleasuring to him. Rufus seemed to be more concerned with Reno’s pleasure than he was with his own and it made the redhead whimper appreciatively against his mouth.

 

“Calm down, little fox,” Rufus purred with amusement as Reno nipped at his throat and pulled his shirt open roughly.

 

“Can’t,” Reno answered in a desperate, sultry moan. “I wanna…I wanna suck you off, boss.”

 

Rufus swore softly and paused his stimulation of the young man’s dick. Taking a couple of deep breaths to calm himself, he promised; “After I’ve finished with you, I’ll allow it.” He tugged on the redhead’s swollen length again, making him moan softly. _~I love the sounds he makes…so needy and grateful for the pleasure I’m giving him. Reno…Reno…you’ll drive me insane!~_

Rufus stopped supporting the other man’s back and reached between his legs with his other hand to tease the sensitive urethra opening with the pads of his fingers, while gripping the base of the cock with the hand he’d been stroking it with. He smiled against the redhead’s parted, moaning lips as Reno trembled and tensed in response to the intense sensations. The reactions he was getting were so hot and gratifying, he wondered if he would be able to handle Reno when the time came to take him into his bed and start using toys on him to get him ready for the final step.

 

Reno pinched both of his companion’s nipples firmly between his thumb and forefinger and he got some consolation when Rufus groaned in response. He jerked uncontrollably as the man pressed the short, manicured nail of his thumb against the slit in the tip of his cock and moved the digit in tiny circles. It was so intense it was almost painful and Reno clenched his jaw and hissed Rufus’ name, his breath coming in fast, sharp pants.

 

“S-Sir,” Reno moaned raggedly after a few minutes of the torture. “I c-can’t stand it anymore! Fuck…please…let me come…please, Rufus!”

 

“As long as you promise to get it all on yourself,” Rufus panted, smiling at him wickedly.

 

Reno would have promised to write Rufus’ fucking name on the wall with his semen at that moment, if it meant a release from the agonizing need he felt. He nodded and kissed Rufus hungrily, whimpering an incoherent reply into his mouth. He reached down to grasp his cock, just above Rufus’ gripping hand. The VP released the base of his straining member and reached further down to cup his balls. Reno let out a series of sharp, quick moans as Rufus stroked above his grasping hand while squeezing his swollen balls rhythmically, milking them.

 

The orgasm rolled over Reno in pulsing waves, overcoming him. Just as he began to blow his load, he remembered the promise he made and he angled his throbbing cock away from the boss and toward himself, so that the thick ropes of cum struck his bared chest and abdomen. He threw his head back and groaned his companion’s name, never getting a drop of his seed on Rufus. He felt the other man’s smiling lips nuzzling his throat as the orgasm went on and on until his balls were aching and he had nothing left to expel. Reno brought his head forward again and looked down at his boss, panting heavily with his release as he examined Rufus to be sure he hadn’t gotten any spunk on him.

 

“Good job, Fox,” Rufus complimented with a smile as he released Reno’s softening cock and traced a finger through the slick smears of semen decorating the redhead’s pale torso. He brought his finger to his lips and sucked on it, curious about the Turk’s flavor. He found it to his liking and decided that he’d enjoy swallowing it when they had their next meeting. There was a faint but pleasant spice taste to the redhead’s cum, which wasn’t very surprising considering all of the cinnamon gum he chewed and the nutmeg and cinnamon he always had sprinkled in his coffee.

 

Reno kissed him sensually, doing that trick of his where his tongue teased the lips almost delicately to coax his to come out and play. Rufus complied, reaching out and around the redhead with his left hand to pull a drawer open. He felt around blindly while he kissed his subordinate, searching for the wipes. He found the box and fished a couple out before breaking the kiss and gently guiding Reno to lean back for him. He wiped the spunk off of the redhead’s still-heaving chest and tensed stomach, tossing the wipes in the bin before sliding his hands around Reno’s waist and kissing him again.

 

“That was fucking amazing,” Reno sighed when he’d calmed down enough to speak. He rested his perspiring cheek on Rufus’ shoulder and stroked his chest with one hand.

 

“So I take it you enjoyed that,” Rufus commented, smiling smugly as he nuzzled Reno’s hair.

 

“Oh yeah, boss. I freakin’ loved it alright,” Reno agreed, kissing his neck feverishly. “Now it’s your turn, yo.”

 

Rufus was about to tell him to wait a moment but the Turk slid with boneless grace out of his lap and to the floor, parting the VP’s knees with his hands and positioning his shoulders between them as soon as there was room. Rufus stared down at him, impressed by how quickly he worked. Reno’s deft hands had his pants opened and his rigid cock pulled out of his underwear within seconds. He didn’t even get a chance to brace himself before the Turk’s sensitive, appealing lips closed over the tip of his glans and slid down, slowly and exquisitely.

 

The Vice President fought a moan as that teasing tongue circled the glans and flicked delicately over it for a few moments. The redhead sucked the organ further into his mouth, then withdrew and did it again. He did this for several seconds, varying how deeply he took it into his mouth with each pass. His hand slipped under the cock he was pleasuring to cup Rufus’ balls and massage them.

 

“You’re amazing,” Rufus gasped, his hands clenching to fists on top of his desk. Before he could fully immerse himself in the fantastic sensations his Turk was giving him, the secretary buzzed his office phone. Rufus grunted with frustration and pushed the comm. Button. “Yes?” He held his voice steady, not betraying the pleasure he was feeling.

 

“The President is on line two of the comm. unit for you, Sir.” Answered the woman.

 

Rufus swore softly but Reno just kept on sucking, even though he must have heard the announcement. The young VP considered telling his companion to stop what he was doing until he finished talking to his father, but it felt so good he decided to let him continue unless the conversation became extended to the point where he couldn’t keep his voice steady. “Thank you, I’ll take it,” Rufus said to the secretary before switching the speaker to line two.

 

He gathered his wits and took a deep breath. “This is Rufus.”

 

“Rufus, did you have that gil deposited where it belongs?” Questioned the president.

 

The blonde closed his eyes as Reno deep-throated him and massaged his cock with the muscles of his throat. “Yes,” he answered. He couldn’t contain a soft grunt at the end of his statement and he flushed.

 

“Good. I must say, I’m not happy with the media attention this incident received but I’m pleased that they retrieved the girl without costing the company anything.”

 

_~You said that earlier, you stupid old bastard!~_

 

Rufus realized that his father was waiting for a reply and he was just about to answer when Reno’s tongue stroked firmly against the underside of his cock. A soft groan burst from his lips before he could stop it and he quickly attempted to rectify the situation. “Is there anything else I can do for you Father? I’m in the middle of a workout.” He smirked at the hidden meaning behind the word.

 

“A workout? In your office?” The president’s voice was suspicious.

 

“Calisthenics,” Rufus elaborated, grunting softly as Reno sucked harder and faster. Hell and damnation, was the redhead TRYING to make him come in the middle of a speaker conversation? “Is there anything else?”

 

The president sighed with annoyance. “The Turks seem to…like you,” he said it grudgingly, “So I’m leaving it up to you to keep them in line. Organized ‘families’ such as theirs tend to be a bit too enthusiastic and—dare I say—creative with their work. Since most of them seem so devoted to you, I’m counting on you to make sure they don’t overstep themselves.”

 

Rufus heard and felt Reno snicker softly around his cock and he was torn between amusement at the redhead’s reaction, pleasure at the feel of his vocal vibrations and annoyance that his companion was risking the president hearing him. “Leave it to me,” Rufus assured him. “I’ll talk to you in the morning, Father.” He didn’t bother waiting for a response before turning the speaker off. He looked down at Reno’s bobbing head, watching his cock sliding in and out of that skilled mouth.

 

“You’re a little devil,” Rufus grunted, tensing as the pleasure grew to an explosive point.

 

Reno nodded in agreement, smiling around the thick, hard shaft he was sucking on before deep-throating again and working his mouth, tongue and throat around it. He felt the VP’s fingers tangle into his hair and he didn’t mind the slight pain as Rufus inadvertently pulled it. He heard the whispered gasp of encouragement and he kept going until the ash-blonde’s hips lifted and his cock pulsed in his mouth. Reno swallowed the hot gush of Rufus’ release and squeezed his thighs supportively.   There was a sweet tang to the VP’s cum that made the redhead curious. He made a couple more passes with his mouth before allowing Rufus’ sated cock to slide out of his mouth.

 

Rufus caught his breath as Reno climbed sensually and smoothly back up the VP’s body; tucking him deftly back into his pants and closing them back up. He smiled at Rufus as he straddled him again and kissed his gasping lips. “Like it, baby?” he said a little breathlessly, catching his superior’s bottom lip gently between his teeth and tugging.

 

“Damn, Reno,” Rufus sighed, putting his arms around the redhead and squeezing him briefly. “I not only liked it, but your way of speaking is threatening to make me hard all over again.” He normally wasn’t an open man, but in the afterglow of sexual release some of his barriers dropped and he felt comfortable enough to express his feelings.

 

Reno understood the significance of that, even though he wasn’t used to it. He rubbed his nose playfully against the VP’s and kissed him softly. “So, I noticed your cum had kind of a sweet taste to it, yo,” He commented shamelessly, “I’m curious about what makes it taste like that, Sir.”

 

“Pineapple juice,” Rufus smirked, fondling the Turk’s rump leisurely, “I drink several glasses of it per day and that’s one of the side-effects. Did you enjoy it?”

 

“Mmm, like candy,” Reno purred, licking the side of the VP’s face with unabashed sensuality.

 

“Reno, I believe YOU’RE going to be the one who wears ME out, when I take you to my bed.” Rufus sighed, tracing the redhead’s lips with his fingertips.

 

Reno grinned slyly at him. “Just don’t hold it against me, yo.”

 

~**********************************~

 

            _Rufus dismissed me after that and I spent the night in the company suite they assigned to me until I can get my own place. I didn’t sleep well, either. You know me…I’ve gotta have it all. I was up thinking about Rufus, Rude and Tseng most of the night and when I wasn’t getting myself hot over smutty thoughts about them I was worrying myself sick over finding just the right place for Ma to live._

 

            _Some people might ask why I didn’t just look for a place for both of us to live together, but now that I could get her a house somewhere safe and keep her financially secure, I could get my own place without worrying about her. There was my work and the questions she’d ask if we lived together, there was my sex life, there was the fact that I was finally an adult and there was also the fact that even if we lived in separate houses, we’d still be in the same neighborhood and I’d just be a few blocks away._

_So yeah, I’m a “Mamma’s boy” but unlike a lot of other guys you could slap that label on, I was taking care of her instead of the other way around, yo. Plus…I REALLY wanted to see what it would be like to have my own place and the freedom to walk around naked…and invite someone in for some nookie without having to hide in the bedroom, know what I mean?_

_The next day I dragged Rude with me to Ma’s house. The poor guy tried to get out of it but I wouldn’t let him, yo. I’m just an asshole that way._

~*******************************************~

 

-To be continued


	6. Chapter 6

“Thanks for the Memories”

A Reno fanfiction

Chapter 6: “Mother’s Day and male bonding”

~*******************************************~

*Disclaimer:  Final Fantasy and all characters therein belong to Square-Enix.  This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can’t get enough of this world and the characters.* 

~***********************************************~

 

            _You should have seen the look on Lee’s face when I showed up at the garage in my Turk uniform.  When I’d called him over the phone and told him I was passing the business on to him because I got a high-paying job, he thought I was screwing with him.  He took one look at me, then at Rude, and he figured out what “high paying job” I’d landed, yo._

_“You’re a Turk??” He said.  I thought the poor guy was gonna pass out._

_I told him not to make a big deal out of it—I’m still the same guy.  He didn’t really want to accept the deed to the shop at first; he didn’t think he had what it took to run it.  I told him he’d be fine and if he ever had any problems he could give me a call.  Funny thing though…once word got out on the streets that I’d joined the Turks, nobody ever tried to rob the shop again._

_So after hanging out with Lee for a while and introducing him to Rude, we went to pick up Ma.  She was real happy to see me—she was used to seeing me every day, you know?  I knew it was gonna take some adjusting for both of us to get used to things.  I missed her too and I must have hugged her for a good five minutes after we walked through the door.  I expected Rude to tease me about it but he just watched.  I think maybe he was a little envious, yo.  She noticed my new tats but she didn’t say anything except that she hoped I wasn’t thinking of getting too many more._

~************************************~

 

            “Okay Ma, we can’t stand here hugging all day and we’re making my partner uncomfortable,” Reno gently broke the embrace with his mother and planted a kiss on her cheek.  Turning to the bald man, he said; “Well, here’s the lady herself.  Rude, meet my Ma.  Ma, this is Rude.”

 

            “A pleasure, Ma’am,” Rude said politely, shaking the woman’s hand in a gentle grip.  “Reno talks about you a lot.”

 

            Lena smiled and looked at her son.  “He’s always been so good to me.  Even when he was a child, he always did everything in his power to help keep food on the table and protect me.”  She examined Reno proudly.  “And don’t you just look handsome in that suit!  Although you could stand to button the shirt all the way up.”

 

            “Actually I can’t stand it,” Reno grinned.  “Makes me feel like I’m choking when it’s buttoned all the way up to the neck.  Don’t worry though, I put up with it when I’ve really got to.”

 

            She shook her head with fond exasperation and whispered conspiratively to Rude: “He’s a good boy but he can be a bit too free-spirited at times.”

 

            Rude smiled quietly and nodded with agreement.  Reno shrugged uncomfortably and cleared his throat.  “So anyhow,” he said, trying to change the subject, “We’ve got a company car for the day and we’ll have a look around in the good neighborhoods for a new place for you, Ma.  I’ve got a paper with listings of real estate for sale, yo.”

 

            “That sounds wonderful, dear,” she said, “why don’t you boys have a seat in the living room and I’ll boil us up some coffee and start making lunch?  We can tour the houses after we eat.”

 

            “Coffee sounds good, but you’re not cooking today,” Reno insisted.  “I’ll take you out for lunch…someplace nice.”

 

            Lena looked a little embarrassed.  “But Reno dear, I don’t have anything in my wardrobe fancy enough for one of those high-class upper plate restaurants.”

 

            “You don’t have to dress like a movie star or anything,” Reno chuckled, “The café I’m taking you to is nice but casual.  I wouldn’t be comfortable in one of those fancy restaurants and I know you wouldn’t either.”

 

            “They have good reubens there,” Rude said when he realized Reno was talking about their favorite café. 

 

            “Oh,” Lena said with a faint tone of relief.  “Well, that sounds just lovely, then.  I’ll just make up some coffee to pep us up first and then we can be on our way.”  She went into the kitchen after that, leaving the two young men alone.

 

            Rude followed Reno into the living room and spotted some pictures framed and hanging on the walls.  While the redhead had a seat on the couch, the bald man studied the family photos.  “This is you?” Rude said as he pointed at a little boy smiling with familiar mischievousness in one photo.  A younger Lena was standing on the boy’s right and a handsome, dark-haired man stood on the left.

 

            Reno glanced up at the picture in question.  “Yeah, that’s me.  That was taken before my old man died.  I think I was about six or seven.”

 

            Rude nodded and frowned.  “My condolences.” _~No wonder his mother looks older than he said she was.  Having to raise a kid alone in the slums, then hooking up with an abusive fuck that threatens to kill her and her kid…she’s had it rough.  I can see why Red’s so protective of her.~_

 

            “Thanks, man,” Reno shrugged, “I barely remember him but he was a good guy.”

 

            Rude examined more photographs, smiling a little at one that featured Reno sitting on the floor next to a holiday tree, playing with a newly unwrapped toy helicopter.  He looked about ten in the photo.  “So helicopters have always been your thing?”

 

            “Yup.  Some kids love horses, dogs or cats.  I always loved helicopters.”  Reno was smiling crookedly in a way that made Rude’s pulse quicken.

 

 _~I’ve got to get over this thing I’m getting for him,~_ The big man chastised himself, _~He’s my partner and it’s pretty damn obvious the boss has already called dibs on him.~_

 

            “Why don’t you come sit down, man?” Reno offered.  “The coffee’s gonna be ready soon and we can relax for a little while before we start the day.”

 

            Rude looked at the redhead silently, debating whether he should sit beside him or take the armchair next to the couch.  Deciding that his mother would want the spot next to him, the bald man opted for the latter.  Reno looked a little disappointed (or was that wishful thinking on Rude’s part?) but he didn’t say anything. 

 

            Lena came into the living room a moment later, carrying a tray with three steaming cups of coffee, a ceramic mini-pitcher with cream and a bowl of sugar cubes on it.  She set the tray down on the coffee table and passed a mug to each of the men.  “I didn’t know how you wanted your coffee, so just help yourself to the cream and sugar, Rude.”

 

            “Thanks, Ma’am,” Rude answered politely.  He put a couple of sugar cubes in his drink but ignored the cream. 

 

            “He was just having a look at the pictures on the walls,” Reno said after gingerly sipping the hot beverage. 

 

            “Oh?  Wasn’t my Reno a cute child?” Lena said with a wink that was very much like Reno’s.  “He had little girls admiring him from grade school and up, but they never caught his eye.”

 

            Reno flushed a little and coughed.  “Okay Ma…I’m sure he doesn’t wanna hear about—“

 

            “I could get out one of the photo albums and show you the most darling picture of him having his first bath in the tub!” Lena went on without missing a beat.

 

            Rude choked a little on his coffee and grinned at Reno, who looked absolutely horrified.  “Bath pictures, huh?”

 

            “Oooooh, no…we’re not even going there!  Yo Ma, you did this to me already with my friends at the shop.  I’m working a respectable job now!”  Reno was blushing charmingly and Rude was having trouble keeping his lips from twitching.

 

            Lena sighed, but her grin didn’t falter.  “Oh, all right dear.  I just love that picture and the way you were smiling so happily.  If it embarrasses you all that much, I won’t show it to your partner.”

 

            “Thanks, Ma,” Reno said, relaxing a bit. 

 

~*******************************~

 

 

            “Reno, these houses are all so lovely, but the prices!  They’re so expensive!”  She exclaimed after inspecting the third house. 

 

He held the car door open for her and smiled.  “I told you not to worry about that, Ma.  We’re no looking at any houses that aren’t in my budget.  All you’ve gotta worry about is deciding which one you want me to buy for you.”  She looked at him with her heart in her eyes and he reached out and stroked her hair.  “Don’t look like that,” he whispered.  “I can finally give you a comfortable life and that’s what I’m gonna do.”

 

Rude listened silently from behind the wheel of the car and decided that even though he didn’t get along with his mother as well as Reno did with his, he’d give her a call at the end of the day to see how she was doing.

 

Mrs. Flynn got into the passenger seat and Reno shut her door and slid into the back.  “Okay, next stop is 4622 Montgomery lane,” Reno said.  “Oh hey Ma, know how you always wanted a sun room?  This one’s got one.  It’s got a nice yard too—big enough for a dog if you ever want one.”

 

Her eyes lit up as she turned around in her seat to look at the photo in the real estate listing.  “Oh, it looks perfect!  I’ll try not to get too excited until I see it for myself, though.”

 

Reno smiled at her, knowing her well enough to guess that if the next house was everything it was advertised as, he’d found the perfect home for her.

 

~*************************************~

 

            _We looked at a few more houses after the one on Montgomery lane, but I could tell Ma had already made up her mind before we finished.  She wanted to give the other houses a chance so she waited until we’d seen all of ‘em before telling me she wanted the one with the sunroom.  It was a two bedroom, cottage style place—which is rare to find in Midgar.  Most of the buildings in the upper class side of town were modern style but this one was just right for her.  I went ahead and called up the real estate agent to negotiate a price, then made plans to hire some movers to bring Ma’s stuff.  She argued with me when I told her I was gonna buy her some new furniture to go in the house but in the end, she gave in because what furniture she had was old and worn out._

_The next day, Rude and I spent the day looking at apartments for me.  I finally settled on one that was close to the office building.  Of course, after that I spent most of what was left of my first paycheck buying some furniture, cooking ware, dishes and household shit for myself.  Rude saw how low my cash was getting and he treated me to dinner.  He’s a cool guy, even though he doesn’t talk a lot, yo.  He wouldn’t let me pay for the movers to get all of my new stuff into my place, either._

_“You’ll be flat broke if you keep going and our next payday isn’t for another week,” he said.  He paid for the movers and helped me get settled in, then he bought us some whiskey and we hung out at my new place and had drinks._

~*********************************~

 

            “Man, I’m lovin’ this couch!”  Reno bounced a little on the white, oval-shaped designer couch and sighed as he settled into it.  “It’s cushy.”  He sipped his drink and smiled at his partner, who was seated beside him.

 

            “It’s a nice set you picked out,” Rude agreed, glancing at the matching chase lounge and recliner chair to the right and left of the couch.  “I suck at picking out furniture.”

 

            Reno leaned his head back against the cushion and winked at the big man.  “Maybe I can go with you sometime to help you pick out a set, yo.”  He lazily picked up the TV remote and started surfing the channels for something to watch.  “Hey, thanks for going with me and Ma today.  I think we’d have gotten lost if we didn’t have you with us, man.”

 

            “No problem,” Rude said, smiling a little at him.  He quickly took a drink as the urge to make a move on the redhead grew to dangerous proportions.  His eyes kept straying to the portion of Reno’s smooth, fair chest exposed in the open V at the top of his shirt and he wondered what it would be like to press his lips there.

 

            To his credit, Rude was adept at hiding his emotions.  His thoughts and desires remained safely hidden behind his stoic façade, where Reno couldn’t see them…or so he hoped.  After a few drinks he loosened up a bit and he could have sworn Reno was flirting with him.  It wasn’t really the things the redhead said but how he said them and the way he looked at him.  Finally, a commercial came on advertising a class action suit people might be entitled to if they contracted Pancreatitis while on a certain medication and Reno’s reaction tore away more of Rude’s resolve.

 

            “If you or a loved one has died from Pancreatitis, call now,” the advertiser’s voice said.

 

            Reno snorted.  “Wait a minute…if I died from Pancreatitis, how the hell would I call them to get money out of it?  I’d be dead, man!  What were they on when they thought up this ad?”

 

            Rude laughed before he could stop himself.  He shook his head and took his shades off to wipe them with a handkerchief in his pocket.  “Seeing dollar signs just makes some people stupid,” he agreed, still chuckling at the redhead’s amusing outburst.

 

            Reno smirked and studied the bald man.  “Yo, you’ve got nice eyes, Rude.  Why do you cover ‘em up all the time?”

 

            Rude felt his face warm with pleasure at the compliment.  “Uh, thanks.  I’m a little light sensitive.  The shades balance it out so I don’t get headaches.”

 

            “Really?” Reno said with interest.  “I just thought it was part of your style, yo.  Sort of like my tats.”

 

            “And your goggles?” Rude asked as he put the glasses back on and eyed the shades that were propped on Reno’s forehead.  Not that they didn’t look good on him.  They suited the smaller man nicely.

 

            “Well, not so much with the goggles,” Reno shrugged as he pulled them off and set them on the end table.  “I’m just used to having those with me, being a mechanic and all.  I guess you could call ‘em a security blanket of sorts.  You think that’s weird?”

 

            Rude shook his head and reached out to take the long, vivid ponytail hanging down over Reno’s left shoulder in his hand.  He hadn’t meant to do it but he couldn’t take the action back, so he gently pulled down on the silky locks and let them slide over his palm and through his fingers.  “Everybody’s got something that makes ‘em feel secure.”

 

            Reno moved closer and sipped his drink again.  “Yeah?  So what’s your security blanket?”

 

            Rude lowered his eyes and shrugged.  He reached into an inner jacket pocket and produced a shiny pair of brass knuckles.  “These.  I don’t use them very often but I got them when I joined the Turks.  They’re kind of special to me.”

 

            “I get that,” Reno said with a nod.  “That’s a wicked set, yo.”

 

            Rude smiled a little as he replaced the weapons and he relaxed, stretching an arm over the back of the couch behind Reno’s shoulders.  If the redhead minded the subtle move, he didn’t show it.  He even tilted his head back again to rest on the larger man’s arm. 

 

            “So partner, what’s on the agenda tomorrow, yo?” Reno asked, shutting his eyes as his head buzzed from the alcohol.

 

            “I haven’t heard anything yet, have you?” Rude answered.

 

            “Nah, haven’t heard a peep from Tseng or the VP.  I guess that means we’ll be on call tomorrow until they need us.”

 

            “Yeah,” agreed the bald man.  “Hey, does that fireplace work?”  He peered blearily at the modern, gray stone artificial fireplace set into the right-side wall of the living room. 

 

            “Ya know, I never asked about that but I’m sure it does,” Reno answered, struggling to stand up.

 

            “I’ll check it,” Rude offered, horrified at the thought of his tipsy partner accidentally singing his gorgeous red hair.

 

            “Kay,” Reno mumbled. 

 

Rude fought a grin as he got up and crossed the room to the fireplace.  Reno was kind of cute when he was tipsy…like a sleepy kit.  The bald man squatted down in front of the fireplace and searched for the gas nozzle.  He found a turn nozzle in the side of the wall and saw that it was self-igniting, so there was no need to try and hold a lighter over the gas pipe.  He turned it and heard a series of clicks before the flames billowed up and danced merrily around the fake logs.

 

“Cool,” Reno said from his seat on the couch. 

 

“Uh huh,” Rude agreed, returning to his spot beside him.  It really was a comfortable couch and he sank down with a sigh and automatically put his arm behind Reno again.  The redhead surprised him by scooting closer and resting his head against his shoulder.

 

“I like it,” Reno murmured appreciatively.  “It’s not really cold enough to use it for long but it’s still nice, yo.”

 

“Yeah,” Rude said, fighting the growing urge to kiss the redhead.  His hair smelt like strawberries and it made him even more appealing.

 

Reno turned a bit and tilted his head back to look up at Rude.  “Hey, do you wanna just stay the night?  It’s getting pretty late and you’d have to call a cab anyway.”

 

“I…appreciate that,” Rude said mechanically, staring at the young man’s parted lips, which were only inches away.  “If you don’t mind me crashing on your new couch.”

 

“Couch, smouch,” Reno scoffed, rolling his blue-green eyes.  “I’m not letting you crash on the couch when I’ve got a brand-new queen sized bed I can share.  What, are you afraid I’m gonna jump your bones?” The last was spoken with a suggestive purr and his sensitive lips were quirked in a challenging half-smile.

 

 _~I just know I’m going to regret this,~_ Rude thought, even as his free hand reached up to cup the redhead’s jaw.  He lowered his lips to Reno’s and kissed him hesitantly, tasting the combination of liquor and cordial on his lips.  The redhead’s mouth opened further and his tongue lightly traced Rude’s lips, coaxing and inviting.  Rude groaned low in his throat and let his tongue come out to thrust into Reno’s mouth.  His fingers tangled into the back of Reno’s bound hair and he kissed him deeply and aggressively.

 

The assertive motions of his partner’s mouth pleasantly surprised Reno.  He responded with a groan of his own when the big man’s long tongue dominated his mouth.  Rude always seemed so reserved and a little shy, so it delighted Reno to discover that beneath the quiet exterior, the bald man was really passionate.  He unzipped Rude’s jacket and ran his hands over his shirt, feeling the muscles bunch beneath the material and his questing fingers.  The man was built like a brick shithouse and Reno was insanely curious to see his chest.  Rude stopped cupping his jaw and he felt his fingers working at the buttons of his shirt.  He likewise began to undo Rude’s shirt, touching the satiny, light brown skin with eager curiosity as soon as it was exposed.

 

“Mmm, that’s a helluva nice six pack,” Reno complimented against Rude’s lips as soon as the other man’s tongue withdrew for long enough for him to speak.  He felt the knots of muscles on the bald man’s abdomen and he ran his hands over the hard pectorals.  He whimpered against Rude’s lips unconsciously as the other man teased his nipples one at a time with his fingertips.  In contrast to his searing kisses, Rude’s big hands were gentle on his body, as if mindful of their strength and careful not to use too much force.  It was just like the first day they shook hands.  Reno suddenly pictured Rude as a big teddy bear and he snickered into his mouth at the image.

 

“What’s so funny?” Rude asked huskily.

 

“Nothing,” Reno assured him, teasing his lips with the tip of his tongue.  “I’m just having a good time.  Aren’t you, baby?”

 

“Oh yeah,” agreed the bald Turk huskily.  He paused and frowned a little.  “Only, I thought you and the boss were…having a thing.”

 

“We are,” Reno said with calm indifference.  “It ain’t like that, though.  We’re not exclusive, yo.”

 

“Oh,” Rude said, confused by the combination of relief and disconcertment he felt.  He wanted Reno but he wasn’t sure how the boss would feel about this.  “Then he wouldn’t mind this?”

 

“Nah,” the redhead answered, tracing the hard plains of Rude’s chest and stomach with his fingertips.  “There’s only one catch; my ass is his—meaning he’s going to be my first, get it?  After that anything goes.”

 

Rude blinked.  “You mean, you’re a virgin?!”  It was one of the few times he was too surprised to keep his voice neutral.

 

Reno sighed and grumbled, “Yeah, so what?  Everyone’s always so surprised about that.”

 

“Well, you don’t act like any virgin I ever met,” Rude observed. 

 

Reno laughed softly and pulled the big man’s glasses off.  When Rude winced, the redhead grabbed the little remote sitting next to the TV remote on the glass coffee table and dimmed the lights.  “Not every virgin is a pristine little innocent,” Reno purred, nuzzling the big man’s throat with his lips.  “How are the lights?  They dim enough for you?”

 

“Yeah,” Rude said a little breathlessly.  He groaned softly again when the redhead’s lips sucked on the sensitive skin under his ear.  “So we can fool around but we can’t go all the way, right?”

 

“For now,” Reno promised.  “Do you mind?”

 

“I guess I can live with that,” Rude answered as he pulled the redhead’s shirt open and felt him up again.  “I wasn’t even planning on trying to go all the way with you tonight.  I…like you too much to take it that fast.”  He flushed in embarrassment; sure that Reno would pick on him.

 

Instead, the redhead stopped what he was doing and pulled back to look at him with the sweetest smile Rude had ever seen on a guy before.  It seemed a little out of character but there was genuine warmth in it and it occurred to the bald man that it was going to take years for him to really get to know his partner…if he ever did.

 

“Teddy bear,” Reno said in an affectionate, teasing tone.

 

Instead of insulting the bald man, it made him feel warm and tingly.  “Come here,” Rude ordered, putting his other arm around Reno’s shoulders to pull him closer.  He kissed him again and kept exploring his torso, stimulating the tightened pink nipples one at a time until the redhead was gasping sweetly against his mouth.  Reno’s hands were likewise familiarizing themselves with his body and he tensed with eager anticipation when those dexterous, long hands started working at the button of his trousers.

 

“Wait,” Rude gasped, realizing that if his partner got him too hot he might just forget about the deal between Reno and the boss and take him.  “Let me do it to you instead.”

 

“Hmm?” Reno hummed, looking at him with confusion.  “You don’t want me to blow you?”

 

Rude was momentarily speechless.  _~How can he say the crudest things and make them sound so damned sexy?~_   Aloud, he said; “Yeah, I’d love that but I don’t know if I could handle it, Red.  You’re too hot and the thought of that mouth on my…no, just let me do you instead.  Maybe when you’ve fulfilled your…uh…agreement with the boss I can relax and not worry about losing my cool.”

 

“Oh, so you wanna blow me?” Reno questioned with guileless interest.  It had been a long time since anyone sucked him off.  Hell, before the boss played with him in the office the night before, he hadn’t even had anyone jack him off since he got out of juvenile detention.

 

“You sound surprised,” Rude smirked.  “Do I look like an inconsiderate jerk, man?”

 

“No,” Reno said quickly, flushing a little, “I’m just not used to getting attention like that, is all.”

 

“Then you’re used to being with selfish assholes,” Rude said bluntly.

 

Reno smirked and shrugged.  “In their defense, we’re talking young guys that were just getting into sex.  I was just more willing to experiment than they were, yo.”  His breath caught in his throat as Rude’s strong, callused hand slipped down below his navel and began unbuckling his belt.

 

“Relax,” Rude murmured, kissing him deeply.

 

 _~Relax, he says,~_ thought Reno.  _~I AM relaxed…just kind of anxious.  I’ve never messed with a guy that could snap me like a piece of kindling before.  Shit, I hope he’s as careful with those big hands when he’s got hold of my package as he’s been with other parts, yo.~_

 

Reno needn’t have worried; Rude was very aware of his own strength and he’d long ago schooled himself to take care when touching people intimately.  He got the redhead’s belt open and popped the button of his fly before pulling the zipper down.  He glanced down and in the dim light he could see the pink-capped staff of Reno’s arousal spring out of its confines as he pulled the trousers open.  He admired it as he curled his fingers around it and gave it a few gentle tugs, provoking a moan from Reno and a drop of fluid to form on the tip.  The thatch of hair surrounding the organ was auburn—a less shocking red than the hair on his head. 

 

Unwilling to wait any longer, Rude maneuvered his partner to turn sideways on the couch, then gently pushed him down so that he was lying on his back with one leg dangling over the side of the couch and the other bent and resting against the back.  He stared down at him for a moment, his groin aching with lust.  Reno looked positively delicious lying there with his shirt hanging open and his cock thrusting out of his pants.  Rude stroked the stiffened organ and murmured to his partner when Reno’s breath quickened and his eyes closed.

 

Reno gasped encouragement to his partner as Rude’s hand pleasured him.  He relaxed, not fighting the bigger man as he positioned himself between his thighs.  Rude’s tongue snaked out and teased the head of his cock, making Reno suck in a sharp breath and involuntarily lift his hips.  Rude’s hands held his pelvis still as he took him into his mouth.  Reno’s eyes opened slowly and he stared at the ceiling and stroked his partner’s smooth head.  He discovered that he liked the feel of Rude’s naked scalp and he caressed it with his fingers and sighed with pleasure as the other man’s mouth engulfed his sex, then let it slip out to the tip before doing it again.  His tongue skillfully massaged as his mouth stroked, making Reno shudder and moan softly.

 

“Th-that’s so good, Rude,” Reno panted, trying not to struggle against the hold the other man had on his hips.  It was hard, though.  He’d gone so long without oral sex that he’d forgotten how damned good it felt.  Rude was taking his time, trying out different methods and repeating motions that made Reno squirm restlessly.  He was gentle and patient in a manner that was almost loving and it made the redhead wonder if he’d have done this if they hadn’t had a few drinks.

 

“Rude?” He asked breathlessly.  The wonderful pleasuring ceased for a moment as the bald man stopped and looked up the length of his body at him.  “I’m not…taking advantage of you, am I?”

 

That made Rude laugh.  “I’m not that tipsy, man.  Relax.”

 

Reno nodded and dropped his head back against the cushion again, closing his eyes and groaning as his partner took him into his mouth.  Okay, so the booze obviously gave Rude confidence to do this but he wasn’t just doing it because of the booze.  It made Reno feel better and he was able to enjoy the other man’s skills to the fullest extent.  When Rude slipped one of his hands down beneath the shaft to massage his balls, the pressure exploded and Reno grunted a breathless warning as he started to peak. 

 

Rude had never swallowed before but the way Reno moaned his name prompted him to give it a try.  He felt the slim man’s fingers dig into his shoulders as he took him in as deeply as he could, fighting his gag reflex.  The warm spurt of Reno’s seed wasn’t hard to swallow.  It wasn’t as bitter or salty as he expected, either.  The smaller Turk was shaking with pleasure as he twitched inside of Rude’s mouth and he tossed his head and panted heavily.  There was something so endearing and satisfying about the sound of Reno’s eager, thankful moans.  When it was finished, Rude gently tucked him back into his pants and reached out for his half finished drink to wash down the redhead’s spunk. 

 

Reno lay spent and breathing heavily, looking vaguely doll-like with his fair, flushed complexion and vivid red hair.  Rude stretched out on top of him and kissed him lightly.  “How’d you like that, partner?” He murmured.

 

“Loved it,” Reno answered hoarsely.  “So when are you gonna let me return the favor, yo?”

 

“When I know it can go further if we want it to,” Rude answered calmly.  “’Till then, let’s keep it simple.”

 

“If you say so,” Reno sighed.

 

~**********************************~

 

            _Ya know, I never would have pegged Rude as the kind of guy that would be good at giving head.  Fucking, sure.  Sucking?  Not so much.  I was glad to be proven wrong on that impression, yo.  We turned off the fireplace and went to bed together after that.  We fooled around a little and I got a feel of his package, but he wouldn’t let me do more than squeeze it a little through his boxers.  By the feel of him I was pretty sure he was hung like a fucking mule, but I couldn’t investigate as much as I wanted to.  The rest of the night he just cuddled me like the big teddy bear he is.  Yeah, that’s right…we cuddled.  I felt kind of safe in his arms and yeah, I know that makes me sound like a girl._  

 

            _I know what you’re probably thinking, yo.  I hardly knew the guy and I shouldn’t have let things go that fast, right?  Hell, I knew Rufus longer than I knew Rude before things started getting hot and heavy between us.  There was just something about Rude, though.  We clicked right from the start, like two pieces of a puzzle snapping together.  Tseng called it some weird Wutaian word that had something to do with magnetism.  I don’t know if I believe all that spiritual crap but he was right about one thing; Rude and I got comfortable around each other really fast._

_So that was two down and one to go.  By that, I mean Tseng.  Yeah, I’m greedy.  Tseng and I didn’t fall into a sexual relationship right away, though.  He was really busy, being second in command of the Turks and all.  He had a lot of pressure on his shoulders so it was really no wonder he was so uptight._

_Time seemed to fly by and when he had time for it, Rufus called me into his office for private “meetings” that usually ended up with me screaming his name and begging him like a whore in heat.  My make-out sessions with Rufus were always so intense it almost hurt but the ones with Rude were slow and gentle.  It was like I was getting the best of two worlds, yo.  The only problem was I was getting impatient.  By the time a month passed I was desperate for the boss to fuck me.  I tried to vent my frustration in the gym or jogging around my block.  I visited Ma every few days and took her out for lunch on the weekends, when I wasn’t on an assignment._

            _After I’d been with the Turks for a while, I guess they figured I could be trusted.  I found out about SOLDIER and for the first time, I laid eyes on General Sephiroth.  Man, that was one hot piece of ass, lemme tell ya.  Still, there was something about him that freaked me out a little.  I mean, for one thing he had slit pupils, like a cat or a snake.  All of the Soldiers’ eyes glowed because of Mako infusions but his were spooky because of how alien they were.  He was the only Soldier with eyes like those and he was the only one that didn’t seem like he’d ever been just human, if that makes sense_.

_I met Angeal Hewley and Genesis Rhapsodos too, who were both First Class soldiers like Sephiroth, except they didn’t make the hair rise on the back of my neck the way he did.  Angeal was the most down to earth one and I guess Genesis was okay, except he was always quoting verses from that fucking “Loveless” play.  If it weren’t for Angeal, I’d have thought all Soldiers were unhinged, yo._

_I probably didn’t mention before that when this was going on, there was still a war happening in Wutai and the President was trying to end it using SOLDIER.  I could tell by the look in his eyes every time Tseng talked about it that he was hurting inside, yo.  He might have left his old life behind and put all his loyalty behind ShinRa, but Wutai was his birthplace, man.  It must have been hard on him, to go on missions against folks that used to be his people, to support the slamming of his old hometown.  I didn’t envy him.  Not one bit._

_I also met Heidegger, Reeve and Scarlet.  Heidegger was a fat fuck that sounded like he was trying to hock a loogie every time he laughed.  Reeve was an okay guy and he seemed to really have an interest in making people’s lives better.  I thought he was pretty good looking, in a refined sort of way.  Scarlet was basically a bleached blonde skank that I couldn’t stand to be around for more than five minutes, yo.  Rude told me most people felt the same.  Honestly, I hoped that when Rufus became President he’d can both Heidegger and Scarlet._

_So, that about covers my first couple of months under Turk employment.  Rufus had to make a trip for a few weeks so I had to wait even longer for what I really wanted.  How can you be so fucking desperate for something you’ve never even had before, man?  I had to fly him to Junon so that he could work on things there and he gave me a freakin’ crotch rub during the trip.  I damned near flew the chopper into some power lines.  He promised me that when he finished in Junon he’d send for me to come get him and we’d spend a night together in his suit.  I can’t tell you how damned excited that made me because I knew what was probably going to happen when I spent the night with him._

_I waited on pins and needles for the time to go by and when Rufus called me to tell me to come and get him, I practically jumped for joy.  The truth is, I could have screwed someone or been screwed by someone as many times as I wanted by then, but the thought of topping never really turned me on and I’d promised the boss he’d be the first one I ever bottomed with, yo.  The problem was I was pushy by nature—which I’m told isn’t a typical thing for Ukes.  Hell, Rude told me he’s met less pushy Semes.  I could buy that.  After all, Rude wasn’t a pushy guy and Rufus was more of the patient authoritative sort._

_Yo, if I do break the stereotypes I’d say it must be a good thing, ‘cause my pushiness always got me what I wanted, even if it took a while.  You can’t get what you want just laying on your back and waiting for it, man.  I’d made up my mind that one way or another, Rufus was gonna fuck me the night I went to meet him in Junon._

 

~************************************~

 

-To be continued

 


	7. Chapter 7

“Thanks for the Memories”

A Reno fanfiction

Chapter 7: “Training the fox”

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*Disclaimer:  Final Fantasy and all characters therein belong to Square-Enix.  This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can’t get enough of this world and the characters.* 

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            _Okay, so the last time I said I was determined to sleep—well, not “sleep” but you get what I mean—with Rufus, yo.  If you know me even a little you know I ain’t lying about that.  I’m probably one of the horniest guys on the face of Gaia and when I want a good screw I get it, one way or the other.  Doesn’t matter that at the time I had no idea what the difference was between a “good screw” and a “bad screw”.  The bald truth was that I wanted Rufus inside of me and I was through with waiting._

_Rude went with me for added security.  That was fucking hilarious…he’d never flown before and I couldn’t resist having a little fun with him when we took off.  If you only could have seen the look on his face though…you’d have laughed too._

~***************************~

 

            “You okay partner?” Reno asked the bald man sitting in the seat next to him. 

 

            Rude nodded curtly, his jaw tense and his white-knuckled hands gripped the sides of his seat.

 

            “Take it easy, man.  We’ve barely gotten off the ground and you’re acting like we’re gonna crash in a ball of flames at any minute.”  Reno chuckled and shook his head.  It was a little weird to see his normally stoic, fearless partner so rattled.  It was hard for someone like Reno—who’d dreamed of flying since he was a child—to understand the fears of someone like Rude—who preferred to keep his feet on the ground.

 

            “I’m fine,” Rude insisted tightly.  He was staring straight ahead, his brown eyes frozen in place behind his designer shades.

 

            Reno bit his lip.  “If you say so.”  He grinned slyly as an idea came to him.

 

            _~Man, I really shouldn’t.  He’s practically green as it is.  Oh hell, I can’t resist.  I’m going to hell for this.~_

            Reno tapped the gauges and frowned with fabricated alarm.  “Oh, shit!”

 

            Rude looked at him with an expression fit for a horror movie.  “’Oh shit’ WHAT?  What’s wrong?”

 

            Reno looked sidelong at him.  He cracked a grin and shook with silent laughter and Rude caught on that he was messing with him. 

 

            “Don’t DO that!” Rude snapped,  “Man, I thought my heart was going to explode.”

 

            “Aw, I’m sorry,” Reno soothed, still smiling at him.  “I just thought a joke might lighten things up.  Here, let me make it better, yo.”

 

            Rude’s jaw dropped as Reno leaned over and dropped a hand between his legs.

 

            “What the hell…RENO, CONCENTRATE ON FLYING, MAN!”

 

            Reno kept his other hand on the stick and kept the chopper steadily climbing at a smooth angle.  “I’ve got it under control, baby.  You’ve gotta relax and enjoy the ride.”

 

            Rude was too petrified to take his hands off of the edges of his seat and stop Reno’s massaging hand.  “You’re crazy, you know that?” he gasped.

 

            “Hey, if I can fly while getting a hand-job, I can do it while giving one too.”  Reno leaned further over, pulled the noise reduction headphones aside and nibbled the larger man’s hoop-bedecked earlobe, keeping one eye on his trajectory while he fondled his partner. 

 

            “The boss gave you—?” Rude couldn’t finish the question.  Even through his terror, he couldn’t ignore the pleasure of Reno’s skilled touch and he hardened under the redhead’s ministrations. 

 

            “Yeah, ain’t he a kinky bastard?” Reno purred loudly enough to be heard over the sound of the engine.  “Are your ears popping, partner?  I can fix that for you.”  He tongued the bald man’s ear, making him groan softly.

 

            “Oh hell…we’re gonna die,” Rude gasped as Reno temporarily lost his concentration and the chopper banked off to the west.

 

            “Oops,” Reno said when he noticed what he was doing.  He righted it and set it back on course, shrugging lightly at the other Turk.  “My bad.  Here, I’ll set it on auto-pilot now that I’ve got her back on course.  Just calm down, yo.”

 

            “What the hell are you doing?” Rude asked as the redhead flipped some switches and began to unbuckle his seatbelt and crawl onto his lap.  “Dude…fly the damn chopper!”

 

            Reno snickered as he straddled his terrified partner.  “Yo, I’ve got to get you in the air more often, man.  This is the most talkative you’ve ever been!”

 

            “Reno, can’t this wait for when we’re on the ground again?” Rude asked, his hands still glued to the seat.  He groaned in spite of himself when the redhead deftly undid his pants and reached in to grope him.

 

            “Nah, this is the first chance I’ve ever had to get a good feel,” Reno said unapologetically.  “You always stop me from doing it.  Now you can’t stop me and you’re all mine, big guy.”  He cut off the bigger man’s next protest with a heated kiss, darting his tongue in and out of his mouth in a teasing manner until Rude reciprocated and returned the kiss.  “I knew it,” Reno said huskily when he worked his partner’s dick out of his pants.  “You really are a big guy.”

 

            Rude’s paralyzing fear began to lessen in the face of arousal as Reno’s talented hand stroked his sex to hardness.  He warily released the seat and placed his hands on the redhead’s hips, returning his kisses and groaning.  He kept his eyes shut, not wanting to see the sky or the landscape beneath them through the window.  He hoped Reno was really doing this because he knew what he was doing and not because he was out of his fucking mind. 

 

            “You sure it’s safe?” Rude asked for piece of mind.

 

            “Yo, if I thought we’d crash, I wouldn’t be doing this,” Reno assured him.  He gripped the darker man’s cock more firmly and stroked up and down along the length in a steady rhythm.  Rude’s hand instinctively sought out the bulge in the redhead’s trousers and he began to reciprocate the stimulation, making Reno moan softly.

 

            It only took a few minutes for Rude to forget that they were in the air; Reno was so good with his hands.  He wanted to ravage his partner’s gasping lips and devour the soft skin of his throat and chest.  Their movements became erratic and a little desperate as the pleasure and lust grew between them.  Rude unbuttoned Reno’s shirt and yanked it open.  He kissed and licked his partner’s throat and chest while he moved on to undo his pants.  He thrust himself in and out of Reno’s stroking hand, getting closer and closer to orgasm.  The redhead seemed to sense it and he reached down with his other hand to squeeze the base of his cock, stalling the climax to make the encounter last longer.

 

            “Reno…baby,” Rude groaned, unaware of what he was even saying.  He’d never been with anyone that got him this excited before.  It was so hard to concentrate and control himself and he was at a point now where he’d be willing to hold Rufus down to finalize the deal his partner had made with the man, just so he could finally have the opportunity to have the redhead too.

 

            “Never…thought you’d be the sort to call anyone ‘baby’,” Reno gasped with a smirk, undulating his hips as his partner freed his sex and started stroking it.  They hit some turbulence and the helicopter lurched.  Rude abruptly stopped what he was doing and held onto the sides of his seat again for dear life.  “It’s okay,” Reno soothed when the turbulence ended, “that happens sometimes, man.  We just got a little up-draft, is all.”  He kissed his partner’s pale lips and kept stroking him.  Rude eventually relaxed again and resumed his massage of Reno’s groin.

 

            The bald man suddenly took Reno by surprise when he gently removed the redhead’s hand from his cock and wrapped one big hand around both their jutting organs, pushing them against each other and holding them that way.  Reno grinned at him and reached down to alternately tease the tip of his cock and the tip of Rude’s.  They both moaned and Rude began to stroke his hand up and down slowly while Reno stimulated the glans.  The redhead bit his bottom lip and struggled to hold down his rising whimpers of need as the sensations brought him closer to shooting his load.

 

            “Rude…I’m getting close,” Reno gasped, closing his eyes and furrowing his brow. 

 

Rude grunted in response and sped up his strokes, making the smaller man buck his hips restlessly and make those intoxicating sounds of sexual pleasure that were so gratifying.  “Come with me,” Rude panted, kissing his partner’s moaning mouth.  The sounds tearing out of the redhead’s pale throat grew louder with each second, driving Rude to the verge of losing what cool he had left and yanking his pants off to fuck him then and there.  “Damn, you’re sexy,” Rude groaned, clenching his jaw as he felt his balls tightening up.

 

Just before Rude started to come, Reno shouted raggedly and went tense.  Rude felt the smaller man’s cock spasm against his and he looked down and watched as the organ rhythmically spurted cum between them.  The sight made him lose it and he hissed his partner’s name as his orgasm struck and his own semen mingled with Reno’s.  He didn’t even care that they’d gotten some of it on his shirt—all that existed for him was the sound of his partner’s helpless gasps and the intimate feel of him coming against him.

 

Reno’s strength bled out with his spunk.  He collapsed on top of his partner, putting his arms around his neck for support as he rested his head on his shoulder.  Rude rubbed his back with firm, soothing hands and nuzzled his hair, his hot breath fanning his ear as he recovered.  They stayed like that for a while, until a transmission came through that startled Reno out of his half-asleep daze.

 

“Reno, do you copy?”  It was Rufus.

 

Reno re-adjusted his headphones and pulled the mic down over his mouth, switching it on.  “Yeah boss, loud and clear.”  His tone was casual and light, despite what he’d just finished doing with his partner.

 

“What’s your status?” Rufus asked.

 

Reno twisted in Rude’s lap to look at the gauges and check the heading and time.  “We’re passing over the mountains right now, Sir.  I’d estimate we’ll be landing in Junon sometime in the next half hour, yo.”

 

“Excellent.  When you arrive, come to my hotel and check in at the counter.  I’ve arranged a suite next to mine for your partner.”

 

Reno looked at Rude and he could tell that the big man was suddenly uncomfortable—whether it was because they’d just finished jacking each other off on the way to pick up the man he knew had claims on Reno, or because he didn’t like the idea of sleeping in the suite next to them. 

 

Reno suppressed a sigh.  “You got it, boss.  We’ll see you soon.”  He cut the transmission and searched the utility compartment for some tissues.  He studied Rude as he started cleaning off the mess they’d made.  “You okay, man?”

 

Rude shrugged, uncertain of how to answer the question.  “I feel…guilty.”

 

Reno frowned at him as he helped him tuck his impressive package back into his pants.  “Guilty?  Why?”

 

“’Cause you’re saving yourself for him and he’s my boss.  You’ve gotta admit, this is a pretty strange arrangement we’ve got going, Red.”  Rude swallowed as those deft hands handled his spent cock and he felt a warning tingle in his groin.  He relaxed when Reno finished and zipped his pants back up.

 

“You really think guys like us are meant for a “normal” relationship?” Reno asked, his tourmaline colored eyes serious.  He tucked himself back into his pants and straightened his clothes while he waited for the answer.

 

“Good point,” Rude agreed, “but I still think I should have waited—“

 

“Look,” Reno interrupted, “I’ve got reasons for my feelings for the boss that I can’t even put into words, man.  Just trust me, you haven’t done a damn thing wrong and there ain’t a thing we’ve done that he’d have a problem with.  He’s probably already figured it out, yo.  His deal is that he gets to call the shots and he already laid out the rules for me.  If this is gonna be a problem between us you might as well tell me now so I can start getting over you, man.”

 

Rude stared at him.  _~Getting over me?  Does that mean our fooling around sometimes is more than just…fooling around…to him?~_

“Why don’t you just tell me what you want, first?” Rude suggested.

 

Reno gave him one of his foxy smiles.  “What do I want?  You.  Him.  Tseng, too.  Maybe anyone else that comes along and gets me hot like you three do, who knows?  Maybe that makes me a big man-slut but I’m just being honest with you.  At the end of the day though, you guys are my family, got it?”

 

Rude considered the information silently for a while as Reno waited patiently for his reaction.  He’d never been in an exclusive relationship and most of his sexual encounters until Reno were with people he didn’t feel any real affection for.  With that in mind, Rude decided he really didn’t have the right to judge his partner’s wants and Reno had, after all, been honest with him about it.  The alternative was to not have the redhead that way at all and Rude didn’t know if he could work closely with him with that sort of unrequited desire hanging over his head.

 

“I think I can learn to live with that,” Rude promised, squeezing the slimmer man affectionately.  “You’re too wild for one man to handle alone anyhow.  Might take some getting used to but…well…you know.”

 

Reno smirked.  “I do?”  He teased, but yeah, he knew what Rude was trying to say.  He rubbed the tip of his nose against the bald man’s for a moment and kissed him lightly.  “Good, so I get to keep my teddy bear, yo?”

 

Rude sighed but his annoyance was transparent.  “Yeah, whatever.  Just don’t call me that in public, man.”

 

~**************************~

 

            “You look nervous,” Rude observed as he and Reno signed in at the desk and he noticed the redhead’s hand trembling.

 

            “Anxious, yo,” Reno corrected.  “Frustrated, too.  I’ll deal.  So, are you going straight up to your suite or are you going to bum around town for a while?”

 

            “Bum around,” Rude shrugged.  “I’ll have my cell turned on if you need me for anything.”  He reached out and patted the smaller man on the shoulder.  “See you tomorrow, partner.”

 

            “Yeah, see you tomorrow.”  Reno watched him walk away and hoped he was really as cool with this whole thing as he acted.  As easily as they fell into the routine together, he still hadn’t known the bald man for long enough to read him all the time.

 

            _~He knows how things are.  Maybe I shouldn’t worry and just let the big guy adjust, yo.  Not everyone’s like me.~_

            Deciding that there was no point in worrying himself over it now, Reno asked the desk clerk where the elevators were and went on his way to see his boss—who would hopefully become his lover by the end of the night.

 

~*****************************~

 

            The last thing that Reno expected when he entered Rufus’ suite was to find his boss wearing a pair of stonewashed gray jeans and a wintergreen, long-sleeved sweater.  Even more surprising were the sneakers on the blonde’s feet.  He looked like a normal—albeit very handsome—college student.

 

            “Uh, sir?” Reno said cautiously, letting his EMR slip out of his jacket sleeve and into his waiting hand.  He cast a suspicious look around the large, extravagant lounge area of the suite, his first theories being that either the Rufus standing in front of him was a startlingly accurate fake or that someone was holding his beloved boss hostage and had forced him to dress like a commoner. 

 

            The man standing in the center of the room sipped his cocktail and raised a pale eyebrow at Reno.  His lips curved into a sensual smile that was unmistakably Rufus Shinra’s.  “You can put that away, Fox.  I realize my attire isn’t what you’re used to seeing me in, but I assure you nothing’s amiss.  Relax.”

 

            Reno regarded the blonde with wary eagerness, finding the clothing ensemble more than a little appealing on his boss.  It made him look more approachable.  The way the jeans hugged the long muscles of his legs and thighs, coupled with the way the snug-fitting sweater accented his lean, athletic torso…Reno didn’t even realize he was losing his grip on the handle of his weapon until it fell from his grasp and dangled by the strap connecting it to his wrist brace.

 

            _~I should say something instead of standing here staring.  Shit, am I drooling?  Why is he dressed like that and why the hell doesn’t he do it more often?  Yo, I never knew he had such a hot body…those damn suits of his cover it all up!  I knew he had a nice chest but that’s all I’ve ever seen before…shit…I’ve already got a hard-on.  He’s staring at me too.  Dammit Reno, snap out of it!~_

             “Hemm…so boss,” Reno tried to get his tongue to function but it felt like it had swelled up to twice its size in his mouth.  “Wussah…your clothes?”

 

            Rufus frowned in concentration as he tried to interpret what his subordinate was trying to say.  He held back a smile, pleased that his hunch concerning Reno’s weaknesses paid off.  “Not to sound cliché Reno, but has the cat got your tongue?” Rufus said in a lightly teasing tone.  He’d been aware for some time that the redhead preferred casual clothing, but he hadn’t expected such a dramatic reaction to the sight of him in them.

 

            Reno’s throat worked as he swallowed and tried again to speak coherently.  “I don’t get it, Sir.  Maybe it’s just because I’m always seeing you in the office but this is a totally new look for you.”

 

            Rufus walked over to the bar and mixed another drink for himself, as well as one for Reno.  “Believe it or not, I don’t live in a business suit,” he said with amused patience, glancing up at his companion with a smirk before turning his attention back to his task.  “Sometimes it helps to examine how things are going in the cities I help govern if I’m…less conspicuous.  If I go out dressed like an important man at all times, people pay attention to me and recognize me.  If I look like the average man, I can observe without distraction.”

 

            He finished mixing the drinks and crossed the room to the foyer where Reno still stood as if his feet were glued to the polished wooden floor.  He offered one of the drinks to the Turk and when Reno took it, he clinked his glass against it.  “Besides,” Rufus finished after taking a swallow; “I find it more comfortable to dress casually at times.  Don’t you?”

 

            “Well, yeah…but you…you’re…” Reno struggled to put his thoughts into words and he downed half of his drink in one swallow, willing his crotch to go down or at least stop aching.  It had been a while since he’d had such an immediate and powerful reaction to the sight of someone.

 

            “Do you think it looks foolish on me, Reno?” Rufus questioned, smiling slightly as he examined him with piercing gray eyes.

 

            Reno nearly choked on his drink.  He coughed and shook his head rapidly.  “No way!  It looks fucking great on you!  Uh…sir.  I guess I’m just not used to it yet.”

 

            Rufus chuckled softly.  “Why don’t you come and sit with me at the bar, Reno?  We can discuss everything you’ve been up to while I’ve been away.”

 

            Reno winced inwardly, knowing that there was some hidden meaning in that statement.  Rufus knew that something was going on between he and Rude.  While he’d made it pretty clear that he didn’t mind him forming intimate relationships within the Turks, Rufus might not trust him to have honored the one restriction he’d placed.  He followed his boss to the bar and took a seat in the chair-stool beside him.

 

            “I’ve been fooling around with Rude, yo.”  He said it before he could even try to think of a decent way to word it and he could have kicked himself.

 

            Rufus nodded.  “I expected as much.  Don’t look so concerned, Reno.  We agreed on an open relationship and that’s exactly what you and I have.  I’m certain you haven’t broken your promise to me.”

 

            Reno unfastened the strap connecting his weapon to his wrist and set the rod on the bar.  He looked at the blonde man sidelong and murmured, “How can you be sure I haven’t broken it, Sir?”  He was treading thin ice with that comment but he wanted to test and see if Rufus’ senses were as sharp as they seemed to be.

 

            Rufus stared at him with narrowed, studious eyes.  Reno began to fidget unconsciously under the intense stare.  The VP smiled arrogantly and shrugged, taking another sip of his drink.

 

            “You’ve honored your promise to me, little fox,” Rufus said after setting his glass down on the surface of the bar.  “How can I tell?  You betray yourself with every motion, glance and breath.  I can feel the heat of frustration radiating from you like a living thing.  If Rude had taken you between our last meeting together and now, you wouldn’t be this restless.  Why, the way your breath is quickening right this moment says more than any verbal confessions.”

 

            Suddenly, Rufus felt a change in Reno’s demeanor and he realized he might have pushed the bar too much in his efforts to lure the redhead into a state of heightened frustration.  Reno was a hot-blooded young man—he was free-spirited, vigorous and full of lusty passion.  Rufus had wanted him to be not only willing but also desperate for it when he took him to his bed, but now the redhead was staring at him with a decidedly predatory look in his sea-green eyes.

 

            Reno felt his blood burning with need and he decided then and there that his waiting was coming to an end, even if he had to make use of his alternative plan to make it happen.  “That’s it,” he groaned, sliding off of his bar chair and climbing onto the VP’s to straddle his lap before Rufus could do more than widen his eyes.  He pressed his mouth hard against Rufus’ and slid his fingers into his hair, tugging it enough to make the blonde man wince and hold his head still. 

 

            Rufus instinctively tensed, not expecting this amount of aggression from the redhead.  Reno had always been assertive and submissive at once; creating a delightful paradox that drove him mad with desire.  The way he was acting now made Rufus wonder if he was entertaining thoughts of trying to take on the role of the seme just to end his frustration.  However, the Turk kissed him in that inviting way he always did; teasing his lips with his tongue and offering his mouth to him, rather than trying to dominate with it.  Rufus responded to the kiss and thrust his tongue past the redhead’s parted lips.  Reno’s soft, desperate moan was rewarding and it prompted the VP to cup his ass and squeeze it.

 

            Reno reached behind and caught the hands that were cupping his backside.  He nibbled and licked at Rufus’ lips to stall the inquiry the other man tried to make and he threaded his fingers through his and guided his hands down to the sides.  He purred into Rufus’ mouth and rocked back and forth in his lap, rubbing the bulge of their erections together to further distract him.

 

_~Now you’re all mine, you fucking tease!~_

            Rufus went utterly still as he felt the handcuffs snap shut around both wrists and bind him to his own bar chair.  “Reno, what on Gaia—“

 

            “You’re fucking me tonight, boss,” Reno said with an uncharacteristically severe look in his eyes.  “If I have to figure it all out for myself and ride your cock with you cuffed to this barstool, you’re gonna fuck me.  I don’t care if it gets me fired, punished or whatever.  You can’t wake it up like that and…and…just leave me high and dry!”

 

            Rufus could only stare at him in astonishment for a moment and Reno stared right back, stubbornly holding his gaze with his arms crossed over his chest.  Finally, the Vice President began to laugh.  He laughed with more feeling than he’d ever laughed with in his life and Reno grinned a little but kept his gaze stern and insistent. 

 

            “If…if I’d have known you were THIS ready for it,” Rufus said between chuckles, “I never would have waited for so long.  Ahh, Reno…there really is no-one else like you on the Planet.”  He caught his breath and looked at the pouting redhead with genuine affection in his eyes.  “You really do have more nerve than the entire ShinRa army, do you know that?”

 

            “Yeah, people keep telling me that, yo.”  Reno didn’t budge from his lap and his arms were still crossed petulantly over his chest.  “Don’t change the subject, Sir.  I know you want me so now the question is are you gonna stop stalling and fuck me tonight or do I have to do it for you?”

 

            “I’d be interested to see how you would manage to fuck yourself, Reno.”  Rufus was barely able to control his mirth, even though his groin was throbbing with need as strong as his subordinate’s. 

 

            Reno growled a little with frustration.  “Yo, you know what I meant!”

 

            Rufus reigned in his amusement and excitement, forcing himself to sober.  “Yes, I know what you meant, Fox.  The answer is yes.”  His steely eyes grew hot as they stared directly into his.  “I absolutely intend to fuck you tonight.  Why do you think I was really dressed this way, after all?”

 

            Reno tilted his head.  “So you dressed like that for me?”

 

            “I’m afraid so,” Rufus admitted.  “It was part of my seduction plans for you this evening.  I thought you might feel more relaxed if I looked less like an executive.  I haven’t actually dressed like this since my prep school days.”

 

            Reno smiled slowly, flattered by the effort.  He leaned in to nibble Rufus’ lips.  “Mmm, that’s kind of hot, boss.  So college boy, you’re really going to fuck me?”  He dragged his mouth across the VP’s cheek and tugged his earlobe with his teeth. 

 

            “Yes,” Rufus said a little breathlessly.

 

            “Promise?” Reno insisted, nibbling the sensitive lobe.

 

            “Oh, yes,” Rufus groaned, pushing his hips up to grind himself between the redhead’s thighs.  “I’ll need the use of my hands to make you scream the way I intend to, of course.”

 

            Reno practically melted at those words.  “You got it, baby.”  Without further procrastination, he searched his pockets until he found the keys to the cuffs and he freed Rufus from the chair with desperate haste.

 

~************************************~

 

            _So that was the first time I tried using my slight-of-hand skills that way.  I wasn’t sure it would work because Rufus is usually so aware of everything and the man is hard to take by surprise.  Later on down the line I played around with that technique more and found out it was pretty damn fun to be the one in charge even when I was the one getting fucked…but I’m getting ahead of myself now._  

_Rufus took me into his bedroom after I let him out of the chair and he paid me back good for cuffing him like that.  I never understood the phrase “hurts so good” until he started working me over in the bedroom._

~***************************************~

 

            “Strip.”

 

            Reno looked at his boss, who had taken his shoes off and was reclined fully clothed on the bed.  Rufus raised his eyebrows expectantly and the redhead shrugged and began to comply.  He took his time doing it, thinking he’d make Rufus wait a little, now that he had him where he wanted him.  First he slowly shrugged out of his jacket and dropped it on the designer chase lounge by the door.  After that, he put his back to Rufus and bent over to take his shoes off.  He thought he heard an indrawn breath and he glanced covertly to see that Rufus’ eyes were on his ass.  Reno smirked and pushed his shoes under the lounge before straightening up and turning around to face the boss again.

 

            Rufus watched with intrigued eyes as his employee gave him a strip show.  He couldn’t be sure if Reno’s slow, sensual motions were on purpose or subconsciously executed, but they sufficiently quickened his pulse and made the aching desire he already felt grow stronger.  The redhead unbuttoned his shirt the rest of the way next, running his fingers down the material in a seductive glide from one button to the next.  He slid the shirt off his left shoulder first, watching Rufus with hot tourmaline eyes as he pulled his arm out of the sleeve and then let the garment slide off of his other shoulder.  Rufus was growing restless and it was difficult to resist squirming impatiently as Reno’s lithe-muscled chest, stomach and arms were fully revealed to him for the first time. 

 

            Reno freed his hair from the band holding it in the ponytail and he forced himself not to rush as he unbuckled his belt and popped the button on his slacks.  He noticed that Rufus licked his lips as he grasped the zipper and began to slowly drag it down, and Reno couldn’t contain a crooked grin.

 

            “Just come here,” Rufus said huskily, finally losing the battle of patience.  Reno chuckled softly and obeyed.  As soon as the redhead was close enough, Rufus reached out and hooked each of his index fingers into his belt loops and tugged firmly, making Reno lose his balance and fall face-down across his lap.  The little yelp of surprise from Reno made the blonde grin.  He positioned the redhead so that his pelvis was pressing against his thighs and his bottom was sticking up, then he tugged Reno’s pants down and pulled them off, dropping them unceremoniously to the floor. 

 

Reno propped himself up on his elbows and looked over his shoulder at him, noticing the way Rufus’ admiring gaze settled on his bare ass.  “You gonna give me a spanking now, boss?”

 

Rufus gave him a smile that made goose bumps spring up on his skin.  “Why don’t you reach out and open the drawer on the nightstand closest to you, Fox?”

 

Reno didn’t hesitate, but when he caught a glimpse of what was in the drawer his jaw dropped.  “Uh, wow boss…that’s a lot of…stuff.”

 

“Of course,” Rufus answered casually.  “I’d like you to give me the lubricant, cock strap and finger massager, please.”

 

Reno hesitated for a brief moment, swallowing as he realized he might have bitten off more than he could chew. 

 

“I’m waiting, Reno.”  Rufus’ voice was soft and patient but there was a subtle undertone that said he wouldn’t tolerate disobedience.

 

Reno shivered, his erection throbbing with anticipation against the blonde’s thighs despite the faint wariness he felt.  He stretched out and peered into the drawer, unsure of what exactly he was looking for since he’d never perused sex toys before.  He felt Rufus’ hands possessively stroke his ass and the backs of his thighs and the sensual pleasure of the touch was distracting.  He found a plastic squeeze bottle labeled as water-based personal lubricant and he took it out and laid it on the bed within his companion’s reach.

 

            He didn’t recognize half of the items in there and he had to use his imagination as he studied them and guess their purpose.  He found an adjustable leather strap and he assumed that was the cock strap.  He pulled it out and set it next to the lube, then tried to locate the finger massager.  “Uh, boss…this is probably a stupid question, but am I looking for something that’s supposed to massage your fingers or some kind of vibrator shaped like a finger?”

 

            Rufus pinched his lips to hold back a chuckle.  He kept forgetting that despite his natural sensuality, Reno was still unaccustomed to the use of toys.  “It’s actually a small vibrator that fits over the finger.  It’s made of silicone like the other vibrators and it has an adjustable band around the base to secure it to the finger.”

 

            Reno shivered again, having a vague idea of what such a device could be used for.  _~I’ve got a bad feeling I’m going to end up screaming before the night’s finished, yo.~_   The thought was reinforced as he spotted what he thought was the item Rufus described.  It was dark green in color and had a bumpy texture over the tip, where the pad of the finger it sheathed would be.  He picked it up and looked over his shoulder at Rufus.  “Is this it?”

 

            “Yes, that’s it,” Rufus confirmed, reaching out to take it from him. 

 

            Reno closed the drawer and shifted nervously, the material of Rufus’ jeans rubbing against his cock and making it dribble precum.  “What do you want me to do now, Sir?” he asked huskily, torn between uncertainty and lust.

 

            Rufus caressed the redhead’s firm, silken bottom and admired the fair pigment of it.  “Roll a little onto your side, first.”

 

            Reno did so and he looked down to watch his employer’s hand curl around his erection.  He licked his lips and made himself hold still as the hand stroked his length a couple of times before retreating, only to return with the other hand, holding the cock strap.  Reno swallowed nervously as the hands slipped the loose ring of leather over his shaft and pushed it down to the base before tightening it until it was almost uncomfortable and snapping it with efficient familiarity. 

 

            “How does that feel, Reno?  Not too tight, I hope?” Rufus’ breath tickled the redhead’s ear and his lips caressed his neck.

 

            “It’s sort of snug but it ain’t pinching or anything, yo.”  Reno assumed that if it was too tight it would be painful.

 

            “Good,” Rufus purred.  He gripped the restrained prick and stroked it for a moment, taking delight in the redhead’s soft, eager moans.  “Do you know how hard it is for me to take my time with this, Fox?” Rufus murmured hotly against his companion’s neck.  He sucked the spot under his jaw and milked his cock a little faster.

 

            “Yeah,” Reno panted in agreement, “hard.  That’s…about what I’m thinking, Sir.”

 

            Rufus smiled and forced himself to stop petting his alluring companion.  “Roll back onto your stomach now, Reno.”  He parted his thighs a bit as the redhead obeyed and he slid a hand beneath Reno’s hips and grasped his erection to position it so that it was trapped between his thighs.  He closed his legs and clenched his thigh muscles, making the Turk gasp as the tightening thighs squeezed his sex.

 

            Reno was so enthralled by the sensation of his companion’s thighs squeezing him that he was taken completely by surprise when the man’s palm cracked smartly against his left butt cheek.  He yelped and gave a start, but Rufus’ other hand pressed down against the small of his back to silently warn him to be still and he tensed and did his best to obey.  His other cheek received a loud pop and he groaned.  Rufus did it again and again, switching between cheeks with each smooth slap until they were both hot and tingling from the punishment.  Reno began to unconsciously hump his boss’s lap, his cock twitching helplessly.

 

            _~I’ve gotta be twisted to be getting off on this!  Why the hell does spanking hurt and feel good at the same time?~_

            He deduced it had to have something to do with the chemistry he and the boss shared.  Reno was pretty damned sure he wouldn’t be getting hot over it if someone like his old loan shark were doing this to him.  He groaned his tormentor’s name and began to beg without even realizing it.

 

            “What have you learned tonight, Fox?” Rufus said as he finally paused.

 

            Reno was too horny and confused to understand the question.  “S-Sir?”

 

            Rufus rubbed the blushing globes under his hands in soothing, circular motions.  “What do you think you did tonight to incur this punishment?”  He elaborated.

 

            Reno caught on to what he was insinuating and he smirked and craned his neck to look over his shoulder at him.  “Oh yeah…I cuffed you.  Sorry boss, I won’t do it again unless you tell me to, yo.”

 

Satisfied with the answer, Rufus squeezed the tempting, reddened mounds he fondled and nodded approvingly.  “Apology accepted.  Now I want you to lie down and relax as much as possible for me.”

 

Reno turned back around and crossed his forearms over one another.  He intended to rest his cheek on them but Rufus suddenly pushed one of the pillows to him.  He gave his boss a grateful grin and dragged the pillow over, turning his head to the side and resting it on it.  He closed his eyes and tried to calm down.  His whole pelvis felt like it was swelling with his need and the hot throbbing in his ass from the earlier spanking only made it worse.  He felt Rufus moving around and he heard him pop the cap open on the lube.  He involuntarily flinched when he felt his companion’s slick fingers press against his sphincter and he muttered an apology and held as still as he could.

 

The questing fingers gently rubbed the gel into the skin surrounding his virgin ring and the young Turk instinctively rotated his hips with encouragement.  He heard a swift intake of breath from Rufus, followed by; “You really are amazing, Reno.”  He smiled at the encouragement and kept moving against his companion’s stroking fingers invitingly.  They withdrew for a moment and he heard the plastic bottle make a farting sound that almost caused him to laugh.  He didn’t get a chance to express his amusement because the fingers returned with a fresh coating of lube and one of them pressed into his sphincter until it gave.  Reno grunted and his eyes popped open as the digit slid inside of him.

 

“R-Rufus,” the redhead groaned, tensing at the intrusion.

 

The VP reached out with his free hand and stroked the vivid hair straggling down Reno’s pale back.  “Shhh, stay relaxed for me, little fox.  It won’t be uncomfortable for very long.”  The redhead’s tension eased a little and he pushed his finger in more deeply, careful not to use too much force.  “So tight,” Rufus observed aloud as the muscles of Reno’s ass squeezed his exploring finger.  The thought of how good it was going to feel to sheath his cock in that tight heat was enough to make him breathless.  He pushed his finger in up to the knuckle and then slowly withdrew to do it again.  Reno’s whimpers and moans grew in frequency and volume as Rufus manipulated his body to adjust it.

 

When he felt the resistance lessen enough, he allowed his middle finger to join and he paid careful attention to Reno’s body language and the sounds he made.  For a few moments, the Turk’s body quivered and clenched around the penetrating digits but Reno didn’t voice any complaints.  On the contrary, he was already rocking back and forth in the blonde’s lap, his trapped cock twitching between Rufus’ thighs.  Evidently the discomfort wasn’t as strong as the pleasure—or at least, not as strong as Reno’s desire to get past the first stage.

 

Rufus felt the resistance fade again and he felt around searchingly.  It only took him a couple of seconds to locate the spongy, firm lump of his companion’s prostate.  He smiled with intrigue as he brushed against it and Reno tensed.  The redhead’s gland was more prominent than average and not quite as deep inside. 

 

_~Ah, Reno…you’ll be a virtual firebrand in bed with such an easily accessible prostate.  I’d almost swear you were put together specifically to be fucked.~_

 

 Rufus wanted to tease the spot more, but first he needed to apply his special massager so that he could give maximum pleasure.  He withdrew his fingers and Reno whimpered with frustration.  “Be patient, little fox,” Rufus murmured, “I’m not leaving you for long.  Just lie still and wait.”  When the redhead complied, Rufus leaned to the side and reached for the drawer of the other end table.  He pulled it out and hastily grabbed the box of wet wipes he’d placed inside, as well as the box of condoms.  He wiped his fingers off and slipped the vibrating massager onto his middle finger, then lubed up again.

 

Reno was about to forget himself and start making demands again when the fingers returned and breached him smoothly.  He felt the silicone vibrator encasing Rufus’ middle finger—felt it hum inside of him as the VP started fucking him with his fingers again.  He parted his lips and gasped his companion’s name, humping automatically as the combination of pleasure and discomfort overcame his senses yet again.

 

Rufus moved his exploring fingers inside of him, curling them.  Reno felt them press against something inside as they had done briefly before and he went stiff with shocked pleasure.  Some part of him understood that it must be his prostate Rufus was stroking, but he’d had an examination once and it sure as hell didn’t feel this good.  Before Reno could adjust to the feel of it, the vibrating massager began to rub the spot in slow circles and he arose on his elbows without realizing he was doing it.

 

“Sh-shit…baby…wh-what are ya doing to me?!”  Reno tossed his head and wondered if his pelvis would split apart from the sharp, almost unbearable surges of pleasure.

 

“Easy, Reno,” Soothed the VP with a smug, satisfied smile.  “Be still for me.”  He relentlessly stimulated the gland and he didn’t think for one minute that Reno would be capable of obeying him.  He clenched his thigh muscles to squeeze the redhead’s leashed cock, thankful that he’d thought to put the strap on to keep him from coming right away.  He knew that if he hadn’t done that, Reno would be blowing his load already.  The redhead’s tight passage was already having spasms as his body tried to climax.  His body began to shake uncontrollably and his dick began to steadily dribble viscous drops of precum, creating a slowly growing spot of moisture on the inseams of Rufus’ jeans where the organ touched them.

 

Rufus stroked his subordinate’s fiery hair and breathed heavily with arousal and need as Reno squirmed against his lap and moaned his name over and over again.  There was no further significant resistance inside of the redhead’s body and Rufus knew he was ready to be claimed.  He procrastinated for a few minutes, savoring the helpless, needy cries that Reno tried to muffle in the pillow and sinuous motions his body went through.  Rufus had a spot of dampness on the crotch of his pants from his arousal by the time he could no longer stand any more himself.  He stopped his torturous stimulation and stroked Reno’s back with his free hand to calm him down.  He carefully withdrew his fingers, removed the massager and again cleaned them with the sterile wipes.

 

“Reno,” Rufus purred. 

 

The Turk didn’t immediately answer.  He was panting and shuddering with unfulfilled need and he was too busy trying to catch his breath to speak.

 

“Reno?  Can you understand me?” Rufus spoke in a gentle, breathy murmur, near his breaking point but unwilling to act on his heightened urges until he could be certain he wouldn’t ruin the encounter.

 

Reno heard his voice and calmed down enough to comprehend the words.  He nodded, releasing the pillow from his teeth and turning his head to the side to suck in sharp, ragged breaths.  “God…that was…so fucking intense,” Reno groaned.

 

Rufus smiled and selected a condom packet from the nearby box.  “Wonderful.  I want you to change positions for me now.  Lay beside me and give yourself a breather.” 

 

Reno lifted his body off of Rufus’ lap with effort, his muscles still twitching from the agonizingly wonderful sensations he’d experienced.  He maneuvered his body and the pillow so that he was reclining beside his boss.  His flushed cock was still bucking slightly with the thwarted climax from earlier and he parted his thighs to avoid putting pressure on his aching balls.  He watched Rufus set a condom packet aside and he licked his lips, frustrated that the VP was still fully clothed.

 

As if reading his mind, Rufus looked at him sidelong and murmured, “Would you like to take my clothes off for me, Fox?”

 

“Thought you’d never ask,” panted Reno as he sat up eagerly.  He reached out with both hands and grabbed the hem of the blonde’s sweater, yanking it up so abruptly that Rufus was momentarily trapped in the garment.  He ignored the muffled curse of surprise from his boss and pulled the sweater over his head, throwing it across the room when he got it over his arms and head.  “Rufus,” he groaned as he dropped his hands to his waist and tugged the fly of his jeans down.  He kissed the VP hungrily, his hands trembling as they popped the button and pulled at the pants.

 

Rufus grabbed Reno’s busy hands and murmured; “Steady, Reno.  My clothes won’t magically re-appear on my body if they aren’t taken off quickly enough.”

 

“I just want ‘em off, baby,” Reno moaned. 

 

Rufus didn’t argue with that.  He lifted his hips and helped Reno to pull his pants and underwear off.  The look that the redhead gave him once he was naked nearly made Rufus come undone. 

 

“Fuck, you’re hot,” Reno gasped.  He snatched the condom from the spot where it was laying on the bed and tore the packet open.  “Yo, how do I put this on you?”  His disheveled bangs had fallen over his sea-green eyes and he stared at Rufus through the strands of hair with aching desperation.

 

For a moment the VP couldn’t answer.  _~Hades’ curse, I’ve never met a virgin this damned uninhibited before!  For that matter, I’ve rarely been with experienced men that have his zest and appeal.~_   When he found his voice, it came out rough-sounding.  “Here, I’ll show you.” 

 

Rufus guided the Turk’s hands and showed him how to pinch the tip of the condom and roll it onto his rigid flesh.  When Reno impulsively tried to climb on top of him, Rufus huffed a laugh and pushed him back.  “We can try that another time, Fox.  You’ll hurt yourself if you try to act on impulse without experience.”

 

“Hurry,” he begged hotly.

 

“One moment,” Rufus insisted.  He reached out and dragged the pillow he’d been using down, instructing Reno to lift his ass.  When the redhead complied, Rufus worked the pillow underneath his bottom to keep his pelvis lifted.  He then grabbed hold of Reno’s legs by the back of his knees and propped them on his shoulders.  Looking down at the gasping young man, Rufus supported himself on one elbow and reached between their bodies to release Reno’s cock from its restraint.  The young Turk moaned with relief when the constriction around his sex eased.

 

“Do you want it, Reno?” Rufus murmured as he positioned himself and pressed the tip of his readied sex against the redhead’s waiting entrance.

 

Reno clenched his teeth and hissed, “Sir, that’s a stupid question, yo.  Come on…fuck me already!”

 

Rufus was again momentarily stunned.  He’d teased lovers to distraction and somewhat angry responses before but once again, Reno was the only virgin he’d ever known to respond with such raw, carnal honesty.  He’d wanted to hear the redhead ask for it and this response was even better. 

 

“I aim to please,” he responded in a low, husky tone.  He drove his hips forward at an angle and penetrated his lithe companion.  He arched over Reno and kissed his parted lips as the redhead groaned, thrusting his tongue into his mouth to muffle the sound.  He could tell he stroked the gland on the very first pass by the way Reno arched his back and trembled.

 

At first, Reno was tempted to beg Rufus to stop.  His untried body resisted the thicker invasion of the blonde man’s sex even though it had adjusted to the intrusion of his fingers earlier.  He felt himself stretch alarmingly as Rufus eased deeper and deeper inside of him, stroking his prostate slowly with the first thrust.  It felt good and hurt at the same time—the conflict of sensation bewildered the redhead and all he could do was grunt the VP’s name and close his eyes.  Suddenly he was thankful that Rufus wasn’t going to town on him right away and he realized the wisdom in the man’s “teasing” ministrations from earlier.  Foreplay existed for a reason and he had no doubt that he’d have been in more pain than pleasure if Rufus hadn’t taken such measures to get him ready.

 

Rufus pulled back and then slid forward again, his cock sliding firmly against Reno’s internal gland in the process.  The Turk grabbed his companion’s ass and moaned throatily, lifting his hips with eager invitation as pleasure gained the upper hand again quickly. 

 

“Reno,” gasped the VP as he repeated the motions carefully.  Rufus knew then that he could never deliberately hurt his fox, even if he ever did something to deserve it.  “I’ve…needed you…for so long,” he finished, thrusting again and making the Turk moan.  He kissed the sinfully tempting lips of his new lover and started to pump steadily.  He felt Reno’s stiff cock rubbing against his belly as he moved over him and he wanted to make him come by his thrusts alone.

 

“Try to tilt your hips,” Rufus panted, “so that…your angled up more.”

 

Reno did his best to comply and the next thrust made his vision blur with pleasure.  “Aaahh…ohhh…R-Rufus,” he cried, gripping the blonde’s ass roughly with encouragement.

 

Compelled by the redhead’s enthralling actions and the feel of his snug passage squeezing him, Rufus pumped harder and faster.  He licked the salty dew of perspiration from Reno’s throat and realized after a moment that he was moaning just as loudly as his companion.  It took a lot to shake Rufus Shinra’s composure, whether it was in the bedroom or in physical confrontation.  The feel of his fox’s hard, lean body beneath him, coupled with the sounds Reno made and the tight heat of his ass around his cock was too much for Rufus to take.

 

Rufus began to slam into Reno hard and fast, groaning incoherently and ignoring the sound of the bed banging against the wall.  “Reno…oh shit…RENO,” he moaned against the redhead’s ear. 

 

Reno’s response was to nip him on the ear and growl his name shakenly.  The Turk’s rigid sex pulsed against Rufus’ sliding abdomen and the slippery spurt of cum that bathed it was all the incentive needed for the VP to let himself go.  He cupped Reno’s ass with one hand and yelled as he pushed hard and deep into him and unloaded.

 

~**************************************~

 

            _So I obviously got my cherry popped good and hard that night…which was what I wanted in the first fucking place, yo.  I didn’t expect the boss to look at me that way after he came.  He just stared down at me with this “Oh no you didn’t” expression on his face.  Makes a guy feel pretty damn good on his first run, you know?  I was worried that I’d stink my first time, but Rufus was staring at me like I was some kind of lost artifact he’d stumbled across._  

 

            _We stayed like that for a little while before he pulled out and took the condom off.  I was aching something terrible but he had a cure materia handy and he used it on me.  Yo, we cleaned up a little afterwards, in case you’re wondering.  We were both so slammed from the whole thing we just used the wipes and planned on showering in the morning.  He held me after that and just like with Rude, I felt that funny “safe” feeling._

_A lot of people don’t really know Rufus Shinra.  He ain’t cold and unfeeling like he comes off—he’s just not so good at showing anybody his warmer side if he doesn’t trust them, yo.  Anyhow, I got my first real “riding” lesson in the morning before we left Junon.  I’ll tell you about that later, though._

~***********************************~

 

-To be continued


	8. Chapter 8

“Thanks for the Memories”

A Reno fanfiction

Chapter 8: “Genesis”

~*******************************************~

***Disclaimer:  Final Fantasy and all characters therein belong to Square-Enix.  This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can’t get enough of this world and the characters.***

~***********************************************~

 

            Rufus sighed with pleasure and stroked Reno’s flexing hips.  “Just like that,” he encouraged.  The redhead was a quick study and he was riding the VP’s cock with skill that made it difficult to believe he’d been a virgin up until the night before.  A light flush of passion colored his fair cheeks and his blue-green eyes were heavy-lidded as they stared down at Rufus.  The blonde slid his hands up Reno’s body and teased his rosy, erect nipples.  The redhead’s eyes slid shut and his tongue darted out to lick his lips.  Rufus captured one of the long locks of vivid red hair that rested against the Turk’s chest and he stroked it, admiring its silkiness and shine.  It was a bit of a pity that Reno had to wear it in a ponytail most of the time.  He was nothing short of beautiful with it hanging loose around his shoulders and down his back. 

 

            Rufus hadn’t even had to ask his subordinate to ride him.  He’d woken up with the morning sun and admired the sleeping redhead for a few moments before deciding to play with his softened prick.  Reno had hardened quickly under his touch and he’d woken up just as the massage made him come.  He’d kissed Rufus gratefully and got a condom out to put it on him before the VP could even suggest having sex again.  Then he’d asked Rufus if he could ride him and when the blonde eagerly agreed, he’d followed instructions perfectly. 

 

Reno was easily one of the best fucks Rufus had ever had and he could only get better with experience.  The VP’s cellphone rang and he groaned and reached out to the nightstand where he’d left it.  “Don’t stop,” he said to his lover.

 

“Wasn’t gonna,” Reno panted with a smirk.  God, it felt so good.  Initially it had been a little rough because they hadn’t taken as much time to prepare him as they had the night before, but his body adjusted to the penetration after a few minutes and Reno had found a good angle to rock his pelvis at.  Rufus’s cock was sliding deliciously against his internal gland with each motion, giving him steady pulses of sensation as he undulated.

 

“This is Rufus,” said the VP as he pushed the talk button and put the phone to his ear.  “Good morning, Rude.”

 

Reno almost paused and he remembered that his partner’s suite was right next to theirs.  Had Rude heard their activities the night before?  The redhead doubted that he couldn’t have if he’d been in his room when they were screwing, because he knew he was a screamer when he came.  Hell, he was getting close to screaming already and it was very difficult to hold back his moans.  Rufus seemed to sense this and the thrusts he’d been delivering in time with Reno’s motions increased in force.  The blonde smiled up at him knowingly as he bucked his hips and drove his cock hard into Reno’s body.  The Turk slapped a hand over his own mouth to try and muffle the cry he couldn’t hold back.

 

“Of course, Rude,” Rufus said with a husky note of pleasure, “help yourself to room service.  We may not be ready to leave until noon.”  His breath caught a little at the end of the sentence but his voice otherwise stayed even.  “I’ll call you when we’re ready to go.”  He hung up and put the phone back on the end table, then reached between Reno’s legs and stroked his erection.  The redhead groaned behind his hand and Rufus smirked with amusement.  “You don’t have to muffle your cries any more, Fox.  I’m off the phone.”  He circled the moist, flushed tip of Reno’s cock with his fingertip and it dribbled a bit and bucked. 

 

“Sir,” Reno hissed, rocking harder on top of him as he pulled his hand away and placed it flat against Rufus’s chest.  _~Fuck it, Rude knows what’s going on and he won’t shatter if he hears us.~_ The redhead stopped suppressing his moans of pleasure and just went with it, giving his boss his full attention.

 

Rufus quickly lost his composure as his lover expressed his passion without holding back.  Reno’s body language and eager, vocal cries made the VP feel good about his lovemaking and it excited him to the point where he could no longer lie still beneath him.  Rufus stopped petting the redhead’s shaft and rose into a sitting position, putting his arms around his panting lover and pulling him tight against him. 

 

“Reno,” the blonde moaned, pressing his mouth against the Turk’s sweat-dampened chest.  “You’re so…incredible, Reno.”  He felt the other man’s fingers thread into his hair and he pulled away and tilted his head back.  Reno’s mouth immediately met his and he groaned against it as the teasing pink tongue traced his lips. 

 

Rufus kept one arm around him and dragged his free hand between their bodies and down Reno’s torso.  He found the young man’s jutting sex and fondled it, squeezing firmly as he stroked the length.  Reno panted his name and changed his motions from rocking to bouncing, taking the blonde’s cock with hard, sharp thrusts. 

 

“Baby,” Reno gasped, his face flushing hotter with his excitement and lust.  “Oh…Rufus…feels so good…”  He held back for as long as he could, wanting the ecstasy to last.  He clenched his jaw and put his arms around his lover, the slap of skin on skin growing louder as he slammed his body up and down on the blonde’s cock harder.

 

“C-coming…I’m coming!” Reno’s outcry was tense and ragged as his orgasm began.  He whimpered and moaned brokenly as his sex jerked in his lover’s hand and spit its creamy fount against Rufus’s stomach and chest.  The Turk trembled as the spasms consumed him but he instinctively kept bouncing despite the distracting pleasure. 

 

Rufus lasted for perhaps another minute before he tensed up and bucked inside of the redhead.  He grunted and groaned with pleasure, hugging Reno to him with both arms and resting his cheek against his chest.  Reno slowed to a gentle, rocking motion again and stroked his lover’s pale hair. 

 

“Mmm,” Rufus sighed and kissed the smooth chest he was resting against.  “That was fantastic, Reno.”  It was always so easy to express himself in the afterglow of sex, while in the warm embrace of a passionate lover.  He didn’t want to move.  He could have stayed like that all day if he had a choice.  Unfortunately, his father was expecting him back at Headquarters.  Something was going on with the SOLDIER project and the President had told him that Genesis was acting peculiar.  He couldn’t keep him waiting for very long.  Regretfully, he relaxed his embrace and pulled away to look at the Turk he was still inside of.

 

“Unfortunately, we need to get cleaned up, have breakfast and return to Midgar,” Rufus sighed.  He squeezed Reno’s ass fondly and eased him off of his lap.  “Don’t pout, Fox.  There will be plenty of time for more when our duties allow it.  I’ve got a feeling the Turks are going to be needed, very soon.”

 

“What’s up, boss?” Reno asked as he lifted off of the blonde and stretched out beside him.  “Something going on that we don’t know about yet?”

 

“I’m afraid so,” Rufus confirmed.  “Father hasn’t gotten around to calling the organization to action yet because the proverbial shit hasn’t quite hit the fan, but he sounded rather worried when I spoke to him.  Just be ready for action.”

 

“Always am, yo.”  Reno smiled with easy cool, not a bit worried that he wouldn’t be ready to do his job.

 

~*************************************~

 

            _Rufus and I had a shower together and of course, we ended up having sex again before it was finished.  He must have planned it or at least known it might happen because he brought the lube and a condom into the bathroom with us before we got started, yo.  Getting fucked against the shower wall was pretty interesting.  I never would have thought the boss had the strength to hold me up like that.  It made me wonder how long he’d been having sex, ‘cause he sure knew what the hell he was doing.  He laughed when I asked him if he started screwing as soon as soon as he learned to walk.  I love making him laugh…he doesn’t do it enough._

_Rude was ready when Rufus called him and the three of us took a trolley to the airport, where the chopper waited.  I could tell my partner had some questions but he wasn’t about to ask ‘em in front of our boss.  I thought the trip back would be kind of awkward because I was messing around with both of ‘em but funnily enough, it wasn’t.  Rude was cool as always and Rufus was all business.  Once in a while I caught both of ‘em looking at each other and I’m not shitting you, I think they were checking each other out…and not like a pair of rivals, either.  It gave me smutty thoughts all the way to Midgar and before I knew it, I was plotting ways to toss my guys together and start a threesome up._

_President Shinra called us into his office as soon as we touched down.  Tseng was already in there with him and so was Cissnei.  Turns out, Rufus’s hunch that the Turks would be needed soon was right on the money.  The president told us that Genesis went awol in Wutai and he was sending Soldiers there to investigate, yo.  He dispatched Sephiroth there too but the General’s mission was to end the war with Wutai.  I could tell by the look on Tseng’s face that he didn’t know whether to be relieved or worried.  Can’t say I blamed him because I knew that the only way the war was gonna end was with Wutai’s surrender, and a lot of Wutaians were gonna get killed in the process—especially with Sephiroth there.  I felt really bad for Tseng.  An end to the fighting was a good thing but it was going to happen at the expense of Wutai’s independence._

_Our job was to help with the investigation when asked and to basically sit tight and wait for more orders.  That was cool by me.  What wasn’t cool was that the President was sending Rufus away again, for his own protection.  That was weird, man.  It seemed like an awful big fuss to make over one missing Soldier and I started thinking there was a lot more to Genesis than we knew.  The President didn’t want both him and his son in the same city at the time.  I guess it made sense if he was worried about someone trying to attack headquarters, yo.  If they were both there they could both be killed, so he wanted to keep Rufus away so that if anything happened, he’d be out of the line of fire and he could take over the Presidency if his old man got killed._

_I was ordered to fly Rufus to Mideel, far away from the shitstorm that was obviously brewing.  That’s when I knew it was a pretty serious situation and the President wasn’t fucking around.  Mideel is out in the middle of nowhere.  He didn’t want Rufus to be in either one of the main cities under ShinRa control and it was plain old practicality that drove the President to make that choice._

_He sent Rude on assignment with Cissnei to check out the lower city and report back on how things were going there and he put Tseng on standby in case he needed to send him to Wutai.  I was pissed off about that at first but I talked to Tseng about it later and he told me Verdot—who was the leader of the Turks—was dead and now he was the big man.  He had a duty to lead by example and set his personal feelings aside.  I admired the hell out of him for that and wouldn’t you know it, I made an idiot of myself and hugged him.  He was kind of surprised and when he saw how embarrassed I was by my un-cool move, he just smiled at me and thanked me for making him feel better._

_A couple of days later I took Rufus and his luggage to Mideel.  We talked on the way there and I found out that all of the shit brewing up was his father’s fault.  The President had given the thumbs up on too many experiments and he couldn’t hold it all together.  Rufus was really pissed off, yo.  He really hated his old man and it was pretty obvious the President didn’t care about his son as much as he did the company._

_Rufus’s Ma died when he was a kid and big surprise, he pretty much grew up without any real parental affection, man.  It was no wonder he came off as such a cold guy.  I felt kind of privileged that he trusted me enough to talk to me about these things.  I had a hunch Tseng knew about all this stuff already—the two of them had been together for a year before I came into the picture and Tseng had a way of making people feel calm.  He was easy to talk to when he wasn’t on the clock, yo._

_Rufus told me that he’d send for me to come and stay with him for a few days when there was time.  He wasn’t any happier about being separated from me and the other Turks than we were.  That made me feel a little better but now that I’d had a taste of sex, I knew I’d be wanting it even more than I had before._

~***********************************~

 

            Reno sighed as he cut the engine and looked to his boss and lover.  “Well, here we are,” he said without enthusiasm. 

 

            Rufus looked at the remote town on the hill they’d landed outside of, then met Reno’s eyes.  “This place is going to be painfully dull,” he said with a little smirk.  “It’s worse than I thought.”

 

            Reno forced a grin.  “That’s why you’ve got me to call, boss.  I’ll get my ass here right away as soon as you give the word, yo.”

 

            “I should hope so,” Rufus agreed, reaching out to stroke the Turk’s bright hair.  “Reno, please be careful while I’m away.  That reckless nature of yours that I find so attractive could prove your undoing.  I’ll be very put out if I hear you’ve gotten yourself killed.”  It was difficult for him to express even that much affection and he silently cursed the way he’d worded it.

 

            Reno chuckled and leaned in for a kiss, understanding that the depth of his boss’s feelings was greater than he could verbally articulate.  “I’ll be good, yo.”  He promised against the other man’s lips.  “I’m gonna go crazy without your sex, though.”

 

            Rufus smiled and pulled away to look him in the eye.  “Don’t drive yourself to frustration while we’re apart, Reno.  Feel free to explore your relationship with your partner if you want.  You’ve kept your promise to me and now you’re free to sleep with whomever you like—under the terms of our agreement, of course.”

 

            “I was hoping you’d say that,” Reno admitted with a smirk.

 

            “But you waited for my verbal consent?” Rufus smiled.  “I’m a practical man, Reno.  I can’t very well keep different lovers and expect them to hold only to me.  Just remember though, my jealousy is fickle.  I meant it when I told you that I can accept you taking lovers within the Turks, but I’m quite territorial outside of our circle.  There will be consequences if I find out another man laid hands on you otherwise.” 

 

  1.             His gray eyes were dead serious and Reno felt a little thrill. “What sort of consequences, Sir?”    



 

            Rufus gave him a smile that was slightly cruel.  “The sort that would leave you with a very red ass and a case of the blue balls.  I could never cause any real physical harm to you, my fox, but there are plenty of ways to make you beg my forgiveness without doing that.”

 

            Reno shivered a little.  “Oooh, say that again.”

 

            Rufus couldn’t hold his serious expression and he laughed softly.  “I don’t know what I’m going to do without listening to your insane little anecdotes, Reno.  When you aren’t making me horny, you’re making me laugh.”  He shook his head and regarded him with affection.  “Don’t think I’m joking, however.  I really will punish you if you overstep the boundaries I’ve set down.”

 

            Reno nodded.  “Yo, I believe that.  I just get turned on at the thought of those hands spanking my ass again.”  He sighed and his smile faded.  “I…I’m gonna miss you, Rufus.  Sorry, I know I sound like a puss, but—”

 

            Rufus cupped the back of his head and kissed him deeply, cutting off the rest of his statement.  His tongue dominated the redhead’s mouth and Reno sucked on it and put his arms around him.  He got a stiffy from the passionate motions of the VP’s lips and tongue and when the kiss ended, he gasped: “Yo boss, do I have to go right away?  I mean, can I get a goodbye fuck after we get you settled in or is an hour or two gonna make a big difference?”

 

            Rufus was just as hard in the pants as Reno and he nodded slowly.  “Did you think I had any other intentions, Fox?  I’m going to be stuck here for possibly months and the rocks are more attractive than the residents.”

 

            Reno laughed even as he winced in sympathy.  _~Poor boss.  Here I am thinking I’m gonna have it bad when he won’t even have the option of screwing anything but his hand.~_

~**********************************~

 

            This time, Rufus took him on his hands and knees in the bed.  The Inn was shoddy compared to the luxurious suites Rufus usually got in the big city, but the room was clean and the bed was soft.  Reno’s hands were clenched into fists and his hair hung over his left shoulder as Rufus pounded into him from behind.  The VP was stroking his rigid cock with one hand and fondling his nipples one at a time with the other while he fucked him.  Though his lovemaking was vigorous, Rufus was still holding back.  His passion for the Turk was consuming and he didn’t want to let go and abuse him by accident.

 

            “Oh god,” Reno moaned, “Harder, baby…fuck me harder!”

 

            Rufus almost stopped with surprise.  He was already using force that probably bordered on being painful but his lover’s ragged advocacy indicated that he was more durable than he appeared.  Desperate to hear that sexy voice scream with pleasure, Rufus stopped fondling his nipples and braced one of Reno’s hips with his hand as he obliged him.  “You like it rough, Fox?” he groaned as he slammed into him hard enough to make the redhead’s eyes roll.  Reno whimpered and shoved his ass back on the next thrust, meeting Rufus’s push and increasing the force of it.

 

            “R-Rufus,” the Turk gasped.  He thought he heard something creak but he was too enthralled by the feel of his lover’s thick, hard shaft ramming into him to pay it any mind.

 

            “Fuck, Reno,” Rufus grunted.  He rarely used such vulgar terms but the pleasure and the way Reno’s eager, needy responses excited him made the blonde lose all sense of propriety.  The sound he’d been waiting for exploded from the Turk’s parted lips and he felt the cock he was stroking twitch.  “That’s it, Fox,” Rufus panted with satisfaction.  His breath expelled in a rush as Reno’s ass rhythmically clenched around his cock with the orgasm.  Rufus groaned and lowered his forehead to his lover’s back as he came inside of him.  “Oh, Reno,” he sighed, hugging the redhead around the waist.

 

            A sudden groaning noise beneath them gave both men pause.

 

            “Did you hear—“ Reno began.  Before he could finish the question there was a loud cracking sound and both he and the Vice President shouted with alarm as the bed they were on suddenly shifted and collapsed with a crash.  Reno sprawled out on his stomach and Rufus fell on top of him.

 

            Both young men were stunned for a few moments.  Rufus lifted his head and shook his hair out of his eyes, looking around from a decidedly lower viewpoint than before.  Reno also lifted his head and peered at the bed, then the floor.

 

            “What the shit?” The redhead gasped, “Yo boss, I think we broke the bed!”

 

            “Let’s just blame it on termites, shall we?” Rufus suggested.

 

            Reno snickered into the pillow.

 

~***************************~

 

            The desk clerk was wildly apologetic when Rufus fabricated that his bed had collapsed as soon as he laid down on it.  She gave him the key to another room and offered a week’s worth of free rent in compensation, then had the VP’s belongings moved to the new room for him. 

 

            “I guess it’s time for me to go,” Reno said once they were alone in the new room.

 

            “Unfortunately,” Rufus agreed with a frown.  “I don’t want father to have a reason to give you trouble.  If we wait much longer he’ll draw his own conclusions and he hates my lifestyle enough as it is.  Call me when you’ve arrived safely at Midgar, Reno.”

 

            “I will,” the redhead promised.  He gave his lover one last, lingering kiss before opening the door and leaving.  His footsteps dragged as he walked out of Mideel to the waiting helicopter.  His cellphone rang and he fished it out of his pocket and put it to his ear. 

 

            “Yo, Reno here.”

 

            “I’ve been trying to get you for over an hour,” Rude’s voice answered with a hint of relief.

 

            “Sorry man, I had it turned off until I finished getting the boss settled in,” Reno explained.  “What’s up?”

 

            “You know that little problem we’ve got with Rapsodos disappearing?” Rude said.

 

            “Y—eah,” answered Reno, “And?”

 

            “It’s a lot bigger than we thought,” said Rude succulently.  “We weren’t told everything at first.  The dude didn’t go by himself—he took a bunch of first and second-class Soldiers with him.  We just got word that the crazy fucker went on a rampage in his old hometown and killed a bunch of people—including his own parents.”

 

            Reno stopped abruptly, his eyes going wide.  “No shit?”

 

            “No shit.”  Rude’s tone was carefully neutral but Reno detected a hint of anxiety.  “That’s still not even the worst part.  Hewley’s gone missing too.  What I’m getting out of this is that he was part of the same experiment as Genesis.  Think it’s coincidence, man?”

 

            Reno glanced over his shoulder at the town he was leaving, pressing his lips together tightly.  _~Rufus, I hate your old man but I gotta say, I’m glad he sent you here, baby.~_ “No,” he answered aloud, “That ain’t no coincidence, yo.  Old man Shinra’s been fucking around and he ain’t telling his people everything he’s been up to.  What was that dude’s name that was working on that project, anyhow?”

 

            “Hollander,” Rude answered.  “He’s missing too, partner.”

 

            “Shit,” Reno said with feeling.  He started moving again, jogging to the chopper and eager to get home and be by Rude’s side.  “Where’s Tseng?”

 

            “He’s on his way back from Wutai.  I’m not sure what he was doing there but he should be back in a day or so.”

 

            “Got it,” Reno said as he reached the chopper and pulled the door open.  “Do they have orders for us yet?”

 

            “Nothing solid,” answered the bald man.  “Director Lazard thinks Hewley might have joined Genesis but they’ve put us on hold until they have more info.  You’re on your way back, right?”

 

            “Yeah partner, I’m starting her up now.  I’ll be back in Midgar by tonight, yo.”  Reno waited to start the engine, knowing that it would drown out his conversation with Rude.

 

            “Cool,” Rude said.  He hesitated for a moment and when he spoke next, his voice was wary.  “Reno, when you stayed with Rufus the other night…uh…he…didn’t hurt you…did he?”

 

            Reno felt warmth straight to his toes even as he chuckled at his partner’s protectiveness.  “No, he didn’t hurt me, baby.  He was real good to me, yo.  Don’t worry, I enjoyed it.”

 

            He could actually hear his partner relax when Rude answered him.  “Good.  I just…wanted to be sure.  I’ll see you soon, Reno.”

 

            “See ya soon, big guy,” Reno said fondly.  He smiled as he hung up and replaced his cellphone in his pocket.  He put his headphones on and started the engine.  He’d have to stop for fuel on his way back but he was confident that he’d make good time.

 

~*****************************************~

 

            We were so damned busy with assignments that I didn’t have time to worry about my sex drive or taking things to the next level with Rude.  We didn’t even have anything solid to go by and the President had me going all over the place to pick people up, drop them off and so-on.  Tseng had his hands full with managing the Turks and going on his missions.  He visited Rufus for a few days and I had some wicked hot fantasies about how that might have gone.  I was jealous but not because I had a problem with him sleeping with the boss.  I wanted some action too, yo.

 

            Rufus called me every couple of days and we talked about what was going on and what ShinRa was doing about it.  The best conversation we had happened about three weeks after I dropped him off, yo.

 

_~**************************************~_

Reno smiled when he pulled out his ringing cellphone and saw the name of his lover on the ID.  He put the phone to his ear and decided there was no need for a formal greeting.  “I was thinking about you when I jacked off last night, Sir.”

 

            There was a soft chuckle on the other end of the line before Rufus answered.  “I think that’s the best greeting I’ve ever gotten.  So tell me, what exactly was I doing in these thoughts?”

 

            Reno sat down on his chase lounge and crossed one ankle over the other.  “You were licking me all over, baby.”

 

            “Oh?  Did I take your nipples between my lips and suck on them?”

 

            The crotch of Reno’s jeans bulged conspicuously.  “That and more.  Shit, I wish I could see you right now.  Do you wish you could see me?”

 

            “I’m already watching you,” Rufus said smugly.

 

            Reno tensed and sat up, looking around with a frown.  “Huh?  What do you mean?  You didn’t set up a bug in my apartment, did ya?”

 

            Rufus laughed.  “Of course not, Fox.  I did, however, take some special liberties the night I took your virginity.  I’m watching the entire, beautiful encounter as we speak.”

 

            Reno’s jaw dropped with the realization of what his boss was saying to him.  “No way!”  He heard the sound of his own voice moaning in the background and his eyebrows lowered.  “Yo, you’re serious!”

 

            Rufus grimaced a little and hoped he wasn’t making a mistake by confessing to the redhead.  He couldn’t tear his eyes off of the television as he watched the tape of him screwing Reno for the first time.  “It’s lonely here, Fox.  I like to watch you, even on a recorded image.”  He wasn’t sure how his lover would react to the knowledge that he’d taped their first night together and he waited tensely for an outburst. __

He wasn’t disappointed.

 

            “Holy shit!  You… _dawg_!” Reno’s voice was furious and Rufus winced.  The next comment from the redhead took him by surprise, however.   “You made a tape of that and you didn’t give me a copy of it?  Man, way to bogart the moment, yo!” __

Rufus grinned with relief and pleasure.  “Would you like me to send you a copy, then?”

 

            “Hell, yeah!  I KNOW we looked good together, boss.”

 

            Rufus nearly groaned as the screen showed Reno tilting his head back and crying out as he came.  “Oh, we certainly do.  I promise, I’ll make a copy today and send it express.”

 

            “You better,” Reno said in a severe tone.  “I’m so damn horny I can’t stand it.”

 

            “You haven’t taken advantage of our agreement, then?” Rufus asked in puzzlement.

 

            “Haven’t had time to try, baby,” the redhead informed him in a wounded tone.  “We’ve been so busy it’s practically a miracle I even have time to shower and sleep, yo.”

 

            “I see,” Rufus answered,  “I’ll have to do what I can to remedy that, if only to give you a couple of days off to come and see me.”

 

            “Better make sure that bed’s nice and solid, yo,” Reno’s husky response was laced with erotic intent.  “I’m gonna wreck you if I get the chance, boss.”

 

            Rufus shifted uncomfortably and fought the urge to moan with need. 

 

~Can he ever make a man feel wanted!~

 

            “Forget the bed,” Rufus growled softly.  “I’ll make a pallet on the floor.  I need you, Reno.”

 

            “Cut it out,” Reno gasped, “you’re making me all hot.”

 

            Rufus backed up the video so that he could watch it again from the beginning.  “As hot as I made you when I took you that night, Fox?”

 

            “Sh—it!”  Reno moaned shakenly and Rufus went still with amazement.

 

            “Reno…did you just—“

 

            “YES!”  The redhead was panting softly.

 

            “My god, you’re insatiable,” Rufus purred with a smile.  “I suppose I’ll have to get you here soon, before you go into heat.”

 

            “Too damn late,” Reno answered in a breathless voice.

 

            Rufus chuckled and caressed the phone as if it were his lover’s face.  “Soon, little fox.  Just try to be patient.” __

_~***************************************~_

            _“Be patient,” he said.  Fuck patience, I was ready to go out and kill someone.  Luckily for me and any bystander unlucky enough to piss me off, I had so much to do I couldn’t act on my frustrations, man.  Tseng ended up going on an assignment to Banora with Zack Fair, a second-class solider that was climbing the ranks pretty fast.  They did an airstrike and turned the place to ash.  The look on Tseng’s face when he came back made me forget all about my stupid little problems._

 

_~**********************************~_

_-To be continued_

 


	9. Chapter 9

“Thanks for the Memories”

A Reno fanfiction

Chapter 9: “Copycats”

~*******************************************~

*Disclaimer:  The world that this story is set in and all characters therein belong to Square-Enix.  This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can’t get enough of this world and the characters.* 

~***********************************************~

 

            _Me and Rude did what we could to cheer Tseng up.  He seemed to feel a little better when they declared an end to the war with Wutai.  Sephiroth went down on record as a hero for his part in that, yo.  We had a little celebration that night, more for Tseng than anything else.  I invited him and Rude to my apartment and ordered Wutaian takeout from one of the best restaurants on the plate.  I even set up the living room with a blanket on the floor and pillows around it for us to sit on.  I laid out the food on plates on top of it, too.  The idea was to make it kind of like a traditional Wutaian dinner but I didn’t have one of those low tables so I had to wing it._

~**********************************~

 

            “Yo, what’s this?” Reno asked as Tseng handed a gift bag to both him and Rude as soon as he walked through the door.

 

            “Open it,” Tseng insisted. 

 

            The redhead shrugged at his partner and they both pulled their bags open and peered inside.  “That’s a big apple,” Rude said as he lifted his out and studied the fruit.  Reno likewise stared at his with interest.

 

            “They’re Banora apples,” explained the black-haired Turk.  “I rescued some before the airstrike and I wanted to share them with you both.  They’re affectionately referred to as ‘dumb apples’, because they grow out of season.  They’re quite good and they keep for a long time.”

 

            Reno didn’t know if he felt more touched or sorry.  He smiled at Tseng and replaced his apple in the bag.  “Hey, thanks man.  I might have mine for dessert.  I hope you’re hungry, cause I set us up with an assload of takeout.”  He stepped aside so that Tseng could see the dinner he had spread out on the floor.  “I know it ain’t exactly authentic, but I threw it together at the last minute, yo.”

 

            Tseng examined the pseudo cultural layout on the floor and the familiar Wutaian dishes spread out over it.  He smiled, feeling a throb of affection for the redhead.  Reno looked a bit embarrassed but the thought mattered much more than the accuracy of the execution.  Tseng reached out and stroked his hair.  “This was very thoughtful of you, Reno.  My thanks.”

 

            Reno shrugged bashfully and Tseng was reminded of how young he still was.  He kept forgetting that the redhead was nineteen.  Reno’s hard life had toughened him up more than other people his age and though he looked his age, he rarely acted it.  The Wutaian felt further endeared to him even as he felt frustration.  He had romantic feelings for the redhead but he wouldn’t act on them until Reno was twenty years of age.  A soft kiss or an embrace was fine, but he had spiritual beliefs that forbade carnal knowledge of anyone that hadn’t transitioned to full adulthood, which according to his beliefs was twenty, rather than eighteen as the laws of man stated.

 

            _~I can wait.  In less than a year, his path to adulthood will be complete.  I only hope we all survive that long.~_

            “Let’s eat,” suggested Rude eagerly when his stomach growled.

 

            “Yes, it wouldn’t do for it to grow cold,” Tseng agreed.

 

            “I don’t think the rice wine I bought is as good as the stuff you keep,” Reno apologized, “but I didn’t know where to go to find a good selection, yo.”

 

            Tseng looked at the brand label.  “The wine is fine, Reno.  You could have done much worse, believe me.” 

 

The three of them walked to the center of the living room and settled down on the pillows laid out around the spread.  Reno and Rude set their gift bags aside and the redhead passed plates around.  They each selected food from the various dishes and Tseng chuckled softly when Reno struggled with his chopsticks.  Rude was having an easier time of it because he was more accustomed to chopsticks.  He wasn’t holding them entirely accurately but he wasn’t having difficulty eating with them.

 

“I hate to ruin the theme,” groaned the redhead as his eating utensils crossed for the third time and he dropped the dumpling he was trying to hold, “but I may have to stick with a fork or something, yo.”

 

Tseng took pity on him and scooted over beside him.  “Here, let me show you,” he said as he took Reno’s eating hand in his and positioned the utensils properly.  “You should catch on easily, with your dexterity.  You see?  All you have to do is part them a little when you go to grasp a piece of food.  Use them like a spoon when you want rice, like this.”  He guided Reno’s hand to the fried rice and helped him scoop some onto the chopsticks, then guided the portion to his lips.  The redhead smiled at him as he got the food into his mouth and chewed.

 

“Mmm, good stuff,” Reno said after he swallowed.  “So let’s see…I just spread ‘em a little and pick up the grub…” he tried again carefully and this time, he was able to get a portion of sesame chicken to his lips.

 

“I knew you would catch on quickly,” Tseng complimented with a smile.  He returned his attention to his own plate and started to eat.

 

Rude was even quieter than usual but both of his companions were used to that.  To him, dinner was for eating, not talking.  He finished before the other two and started on a second glass of wine.  They were all too stuffed for any dessert by the time they were finished eating.  Tseng tried to help clean up but Reno and Rude both insisted that he relax, so he watched the news instead and sipped his wine.  After rinsing the dishes and putting them in the dishwashing machine, Reno and Rude joined Tseng on the couch.

 

The footage being shown was of the destroyed ruin of Banora.  The reporter announced that there were conspiracy rumors of a government cover-up.  Reno glanced at Tseng and saw him go pale.  The redhead quickly snatched the remote out of the Wutaian’s slack hand and changed the channel to a science fiction movie.  “You don’t need to be watching that shit, man.”

 

Tseng lowered his eyes and sighed.  “There was no other choice.  The carnage when we arrived was complete and ShinRa needs to avoid having this situation leak into public knowledge.  People might panic…”  He seemed to be speaking to himself as much as his companions and the two partners looked at each other across the way and came to a silent decision.

 

“Let me refill that for you,” Rude said as he took Tseng’s nearly empty glass. 

 

“How about a drinking game, yo?” Reno suggested.

 

Tseng looked from one to the other and frowned slightly.  “I really don’t think—” He began, but Reno interrupted him.

 

“Come on, man.  You’ve gotta get your mind off of that shit.  It’s real easy; all we do is pick something to drink to every time it comes up.  Hmmm, let’s see what else is on the tube.”  Reno flipped through the channels until he found a b-grade horror film and he grinned.  “Perfect.  Okay, what are flicks like this famous for, yo?”

 

“Plot holes, breasts, gratuitous violence and characters that put themselves in risky situations that most people would avoid when being chased by a killer.” Tseng answered immediately.

 

“That’s about right,” Reno laughed.  “Okay, so how about we take a drink every time someone in this flick does something stupid?  Only, we have to say a key word every time and the last one to say it has to take two drinks instead of one, yo.  What’s a good word for stupid moves?”

 

“Reno,” Rude suggested with a grin as he returned with Tseng’s newly filled glass.

 

“Screw you, man,” the redhead shot back with fabricated anger. 

 

“Feel free to,” Rude answered with a shrug.  Obviously the wine he’d drunk so far was making him a bit more sociable and less inhibited.

 

“Oh, you think I won’t?” Reno grinned.

 

“Ahem,” Tseng interrupted, the sex talk making him entertain distracting thoughts.  “If we can return to the debate of key words…what about ‘Deathwish’?  It seems appropriate for the actions the characters make in these kind of movies.”

 

Reno and Rude both nodded.  “Sounds good,” Rude approved.  “I hope the wine holds up, though.”

 

“I’ve got another bottle in the liquor cabinet,” Reno shrugged.  “There’s whiskey and gin in there too but we probably shouldn’t mix liquors.  If we run out we can break open one of the bottles of regular wine I’ve got, yo.”

 

Tseng wasn’t particularly interested in playing the game but his subordinates had taken such pains to ease his troubled thoughts, he felt that he owed them his cooperation.  The game began and not five minutes went past before a bleached blonde woman with questionably “authentic” large breasts managed to catch her shirt on a hanging nail in a barn and tear it open.  She was in the process of “trying to hide” from the stalking psychopath and she stood there fussing with her torn shirt when she should have been moving her ass.

 

“Deathwish!” Reno and Rude cried in conjunction.  Tseng was too exasperated with the character’s stupidity to remember to say the key word in time and he muttered it a second after his companions.

 

“Gotta be faster than that, yo,” Reno chuckled as he and Rude toasted over Tseng’s lap before taking a drink.  “You get two of ‘em, man.”

 

Tseng sighed and took two hefty swallows of his wine while the blonde woman on the TV got cut in half with…a butcher knife?  He nearly spewed his drink.  “Oh, please,” he grumbled, “Unless the killer is a member of SOLDIER, that isn’t possible to do with a kitchen knife.”

 

“B-movie,” Reno reminded him with a wink.  “I watched one the other night where some dude got stabbed in the throat with a toothbrush, of all things.”

 

“You enjoy these films?” Tseng asked with a little smirk.

 

“They’re good for a laugh, yo.  You know the writers are either on something or pulling stuff outta their ass to come up with such corny shit.”  Reno looked at the TV and added, “Deathwish!”

 

Tseng automatically echoed him but Rude was a little slow this time, so he was the one who had to take the extra drink.  The next drinking scene came when a guy dropped a fork down the drain and he stuck his hand in to reach for it.  All three of the Turks called out the keyword as soon as he put his hand in the drain and sure enough, Mr. Psycho snuck up behind the victim and turned on the garbage disposal. 

 

By the time the movie was finished, they’d gone through both bottles of rice wine and a bottle of regular white wine.  Reno got a case of the hiccups halfway through the film, which handicapped his ability to say the key word fast enough.  Due to this and his slighter build, he was pretty toasted by the time they were finished.  Ironically his hiccups went away when the credits stopped rolling.

 

“Figures,” the redhead slurred as he leaned against Rude.

 

“Maybe you shud eat shome bread,” Tseng suggested in a less-than-articulate voice.

 

“Maybe you should, too,” Rude said when he noticed the Wutaian was slurring as badly as Reno.

 

“Kay,” Reno agreed with a nod.  “I…I’ll go get shome.”  He tried to stand up and ended up plopping right back down on the couch like a rag doll.  “That’sh funny…m’legs ain’t workin’.”

 

“Allow….allow me…” Tseng mumbled and he started to try and get up. 

 

“How about you both relax and let me get the bread?” Rude said, his voice quivering slightly with silent laughter.  “You’ll end up falling on your faces, otherwise.”

 

They peered blearily up at him.  “Yo, why’r you…uh…what’sh the word, man?” Reno squinted and snapped his fingers clumsily.  “yeah…shober!  How’d you shtay shober, part…partner?”

 

“I’m buzzin’, I’m just not slammed like you two.  I weigh more, I ate more and you two fell behind in the game, baby.”  His use of the word “baby” in reference to Reno proved that he wasn’t entirely sober either.  “I’ll go get the bread.  Just don’t try to get up, man.”  He went into the kitchen and found the breadbox.  He selected two slices and hurried back into the living room, only to find Reno and Tseng passed out.  Reno’s head was on Tseng’s shoulder and the black-haired Turk’s cheek was resting against the crown of Reno’s head. 

 

Rude couldn’t resist.  He pulled out his cellphone and snapped a picture of the scene for future posterity, then crossed the room and squatted in front of the two inebriated men.  “Hey, wake up and eat your bread,” he insisted, shaking Reno’s shoulder and then Tseng’s.  They both mumbled and groaned, blinking at him with eyes that couldn’t quite focus.

 

“Here,” he said as he pressed a slice of bread into each of their hands.  “Try to eat this before you pass out again.”

 

Tseng ate his slice gamely but Reno nibbled at his like a squirrel.  Rude glanced down at his watch to check the time and when he looked up again, Reno was steadily falling to the left, still nibbling his bread absently.  He hit the cushions before Rude could reach out and support him and his tourmaline eyes drifted shut.  His hand fell away from his mouth and the partially-eaten slice of bread fell from his slack fingers to the floor.  Tseng finished his and reclined against the back of the couch, his legs sprawling out carelessly.

 

“Time for bed,” Rude said with a shake of his head.  He picked Reno up and carried him like a sack of potatoes over one shoulder, heading for the bedroom.  He pulled the covers down and gently eased his partner onto the mattress, then returned to the living room to collect Tseng.

 

“Sorry boss,” Rude grunted as he picked up the Turk leader and carried him the same way.  “I know it’s not dignified but you need to be in bed.”  Tseng didn’t protest—not that he could in his condition.  Rude brought him into the bedroom and laid him down on the other side of the bed, leaving enough room for himself to squeeze in between them.  He took their shoes off and then removed his own.  Setting the shoes neatly side-by-side at the foot of the bed, he took his shades off next and put them on the nightstand before turning the lamps off and climbing in to stretch out between his drunken companions. 

 

Both men instinctively turned over when they felt his body heat and the next thing he knew, Rude had both his partner and the head of his department cuddling him on either side.  “Nice,” the bald man said with a grin.  Reno’s lips softly brushed his jaw and he shivered as he got an erection.  “A little too nice,” he sighed.  He allowed his hand to settle on his partner’s rump and he closed his eyes. 

 

~************************************~

 

            “Ooohh, my head,” moaned Reno as soon as he woke up.  He felt Rude’s hard body shift against him and the bald man’s big hand began to rub his scalp.

 

            “Wine hangovers are the worst,” Tseng muttered in agreement when Reno’s complaint woke him up.  He lifted his head for a second, then gave up the effort and let it drop down on Rude’s other shoulder again.  Rude rubbed his head too and he murmured his thanks.

 

            Thankful that he only suffered from a faint, dull throb in his temples, Rude lay there for a while and rubbed his companion’s heads until they both drifted off to sleep again.  Carefully, he disengaged from them and got out of bed.  He went into the bathroom and searched through Reno’s medicine cabinet until he found some aspirin.  Then he went into the kitchen and poked around for something they could eat or drink when they woke up that would help.  Reno only kept bottled water, milk and soda in his fridge and he didn’t have any teabags anywhere.  He had eggs and bananas though, and Rude was pretty sure he had a blender.  He could make a homemade protein drink for his hungover companions.

 

            He’d just about finished blending the mixture of raw eggs, bananas, milk and honey when Reno stumbled into the kitchen, clutching his head like it would fall off if he let go of it.  Tseng walked at a more reserved pace behind him, wearing a pair of dark shades.  His black hair was free of its ponytail—probably to relieve the pulling it must have caused—and it hung down to his shoulders in a shiny mass.

 

            “Yo, what’s with all the noise?” Reno groaned.

 

            “Sorry to wake you,” Rude apologized as he finished pureeing the mixture.  “I was just making a hangover shake for you guys to drink.”

 

            “Yeah?  What’s in it?” Reno frowned at the creamy mixture in the blender.

 

Rude shrugged.  “Some milk, bananas, a little honey and a couple of raw eggs.”

 

He realized his mistake as soon as he finished describing the ingredients.  Reno’s pale complexion took on a green undertone and his lips twisted.  “Raw…eggs?” he choked.  He slapped a hand over his mouth and did an about-face, nearly running Tseng over as he raced for the bathroom. 

 

The Wutaian watched him go and sighed.  “Poor Reno.  I think I’ll try your shake, Rude.”  He seated himself at the breakfast bar and rubbed his temples.

 

Within moments, there was the sound of the door slamming shut, followed by the muffled sound of retching.  Rude and Tseng both winced and the bald man got out a glass and filled it with the mixture.  He set it down in front of his superior and grabbed the bottle of aspirin off the counter, shaking out two tablets and handing them to Tseng.

 

“Thank you,” Tseng said politely before tossing the pills into his mouth and taking a few swallows of the shake.  He pulled the drink down and examined it with a surprised expression.  “It’s actually quite good.  Maybe when Reno finishes getting the urge to be sick out of his system he can try to drink some.”

 

“I shouldn’t have mentioned the eggs,” Rude sighed.

 

Tseng finished his shake and Reno emerged from down the hallway, looking drained and pale as he joined them again.  “Sorry about that, yo.”  He sat down on the stool beside Tseng and the Turk leader could smell a whiff of mint on his breath, indicating that he’d hastily brushed his teeth after being sick.

 

“Reno, why don’t you try some of Rude’s shake?” Encouraged Tseng.  “It tastes pretty good and I’m already beginning to feel better.  Of course, the aspirin helps, too.”

 

Reno grimaced at the blender, where Rude hovered and waited to pour him a glass.  “I dunno, man.  It might just come right back up.”

 

Rude poured some into a glass and brought it to him.  “Just try sipping on it and see how it goes,” he suggested.  “Here, take a couple of aspirin, too.”

 

Reno gave him a sickly grin.  “Never thought I’d see the day when you’d be babysitting both of us, yo.”

 

Rude shrugged.  “We could be called to the job any minute.  You can’t work if you’re running for a toilet every five minutes.”

 

“Good point,” Reno sighed.  He picked up his glass and held out his other hand for the aspirin.  Rude gave the tablets to him and he put them in his mouth and rinsed them down with the shake, his grimace fading into a look of surprise similar to what Tseng wore when he first tasted the drink.  “Hey, that actually isn’t bad at all,” Reno complimented.  “You should try bartending sometime, partner.”

 

“I don’t even want to hear about alcohol right now,” Tseng sighed. 

 

~********************************************~

 

            _We spent the rest of the day hanging out and recovering from our drinking binge.  We took turns having a shower and I let Tseng borrow a t-shirt and a pair of jogging pants while we washed his and Rude’s suits, yo.  Rude was too big to fit into my clothes so he had to sit around in a bathrobe until the clothes were finished.  Mmm…Rude in a bathrobe.  If I still weren’t feeling like hammered dogshit I probably would have tried to lure him into the bedroom for a quickie while Tseng had his shower.  We kissed and cuddled a little, though._

_I thought we might actually get a day off, which would have been fine by me.  Tseng cooked us a pot of chicken and vegetable soup for dinner and he and Rude made me eat even though the thought of food churned my stomach.  It was light enough that it went down okay, though.  Just as we were cleaning up, we heard sirens from the streets below.  Then we heard fucking gunfire, yo.  We all ran to the big window in the living room and looked down to see what was going on._

_It looked like an army of Soldiers were wreaking havoc and in the middle of it was a guy I recognized by his outfit and that red sword of his.  It was Genesis.  Yo, at first I thought the Soldiers in the streets were fighting him but then I saw ShinRa troops fighting against them.  They weren’t our Soldiers…they were Genesis’s.  Tseng’s phone rang and he answered it.  It was Lazard and Headquarters was under attack.  Sephiroth and Zack Fair were fighting off the attackers alone.  We were given orders to help clear out the bad guys in Sector eight._

~*****************************************~

 

            As soon as Tseng hung up the phone, Reno paled and remembered something very, very important.  “Ma!”

 

            “Reno, you and Rude go and get your mother.  You can take her to the sector one police station—she should be safe there until this is over with.” Tseng instructed as he put away his phone.  “I’ll go to Sector eight now and meet up with Cissnei.  As soon as you’ve escorted Mrs. Flynn to the police station, meet us in the square.”

 

            Reno nodded.  “Thanks, boss,” he said with relief.

 

            “Of course,” Tseng said coolly, all business despite his compassionate decision to allow the redhead to see to his mother first.

 

            “Let’s go,” Reno said to Rude.  The big man nodded and Tseng followed them out the door and to the elevator.  While they waited for the elevator to arrive, Reno pulled out his cellphone and speed-dialed his mom’s number.  “Hey Ma, Rude and I are coming to get you.  Yeah, I know there’s some fighting going on…that’s why we’re on our way.  We’ll take you to the Sector one police station until everything’s under control.  No, I won’t be able to stay there with you…I’ve got an assignment to do and I can’t put it off.  I know, I know…don’t worry Ma.  I’ll be fine.  Just keep the house locked up and stay away from the windows until we get there, okay?  We’re getting into the elevator right now.  Love you.”  He put the phone away and stepped into the elevator car with his companions.

 

            “We’ll get her to safety,” Rude assured the fidgeting redhead as he stared up at the blinking numbers and cursed at how slow they were going down.

 

            As soon as they reached the ground floor and the doors opened, Reno was off and running, with Rude struggling to keep up.  Tseng hurried to the parking garage for his car while his subordinates ran through the lobby to the front door.

 

            “Unlock it so we can get out!” Reno shouted at the security guard.

 

            “You wanna go out there in that mess?” the man asked with surprise.  “It’s safer to stay inside!”

 

            “We can handle it,” Rude insisted.  “There’s a lady we need to get to safety, man.”

 

            With a look that said he thought they were both insane, the security guard unlocked the door and opened it for them.  “Good luck,” he said as they ran out.  He shut the door securely after they were gone and locked it again.

 

            “Shit, I knew I should have bought that car last week,” Reno yelled when they looked up and down the street.  They sure as hell weren’t going to find a cab in this mess.  His eyes narrowed as he spotted a late model Tornado across the street.  He grabbed Rude by the tie and practically dragged him.  “Come on, man.  We’ll just borrow a set of wheels.”

 

            “Look out,” Rude shouted.  Reno instinctively ducked and the bald man slammed his fist into the face of an attacking Soldier.  Reno recovered from his dodge and swept the aggressor’s feet out from under him with a low roundhouse kick.  He landed on his back and Rude drew his gun and shot him in the head. 

 

            “Kinda clumsy for a Soldier,” Reno observed.  He squatted down and pulled the dead man’s helmet off, curious to see if the staring eyes were Mako enhanced or not.  When he saw the face he looked up at Rude with supreme confusion.  “Yo, that’s Genesis!”

 

            Rude looked around at the chaos further down the street.  “It can’t be Genesis.  He’s First Class, man.  He wouldn’t have gone down that easy.  Something’s really wrong about all this.”

 

            Reno shook his head.  “We’ll figure out what the hell’s going on later after we drop Ma off.  Get in the car.”

 

            “You gonna hotwire it?” Rude asked as he opened the passenger seat door and slid in. 

 

            Reno got on in the other side and nodded.  “Yeah, piece of cake.  I’ll bring it back when we finish with all this shit.  Hopefully the owner won’t miss it.  Hey…you didn’t see any ShinRa logos on it anywhere, did you?”

 

            Rude grinned, remembering the story of how Reno got recruited for having the balls to steal a company helicopter.  “Nah, I think it’s cool.”

 

            Reno popped the panel out under the wheel and fooled with the wires until they sparked and the engine started.  He took off without hesitation, burning rubber and incidentally running over a couple of enemy Soldier/Genesis/whatever the hell they were.  Rude hastily put his seatbelt on and braced himself as his partner gunned the engine and drove like he was in a drag race.  Mrs. Flynn’s house was only a few blocks from Reno’s apartment but the woman wasn’t in top shape anymore and trying to escort her by foot would have been too hard on her, despite having two Turks for protection.

 

            Reno pulled up in the driveway of his mother’s house and he and Rude got out and hurried to the front door.  The redhead pulled out his key ring, which had a copy of his mother’s house keys on it.  He unlocked the door and hollered for his mother as he ran in.

 

            “I’m here,” Lena said as she met him halfway to the living room. 

 

Reno hugged her tightly for a moment.  “Come on Ma, we’ve got a car waiting outside.  Did you pack a few things just in case?”

 

“Yes, the bag is near the front door,” she answered.

 

Rude looked down from where he was standing and spotted the medium sized carry bag.  He picked it up and nodded respectfully at Lena.  “Ma’am,” he said as he held the door open for her.  Reno locked up the house and walked her to the car with one arm around her shoulders.  Rude followed a few paces behind, keeping an eye out for any invading spooks.  He didn’t know if the “Soldiers” in Genesis’s army were men, monsters or a little of both.  He waited for Mrs. Flynn to get into the front passenger seat before he climbed into the back. 

 

“Whose car is this?” Lena asked.

 

“Uh, it’s a rental,” fibbed the redhead, trying not to wince and give himself away.  “We’re just borrowing it for the day.  Don’t worry, it’s insured.”

 

~***************************************~

 

            After dropping his mother safely off at the police station, Reno and Rude headed for Sector eight.  They parked the car near the square and got out, spotting Tseng and Cissnei easily.  The two were already fighting off more copies.  Tseng dispatched his opponents just as Reno and Rude drew close.  Before they could make it to the Wutaian’s side, Reno heard the sound of booted footsteps running toward them from behind.

 

            “Shit, that chick’s in trouble!” cried a male voice.  Reno turned to see an athletically built guy with jet black hair that was feathered and spiked, Mako-bright eyes that were something between a blue and violet color and fair toned skin.  He was wielding a long, two-handed sword and his attention was totally focused on the embattled Cissnei.  Reno threw out his EMR to halt the young man’s advance—perhaps foolishly, since he could tell he was a Soldier operative.  The black-haired warrior stopped and stared at him, while Rude circled around behind him.

 

            “Hey, what gives?” Asked the Soldier.

 

            “Not so fast, Mr. Chivalry,” Reno said evenly, “Sector eight is Turk territory.  We’re handling things here.”  The guy was good-looking and Reno guessed him to be around his age.

 

            The fighter stared at him incredulously, then looked at Rude.  Tseng approached and closed the circle.  “I don’t have time for this shit!” barked the Soldier.  He looked at the Wutaian with frustration.  “Tseng, say something to these guys, will ya?  That girl—”

 

            “The girl is fine,” Tseng interrupted, gesturing behind the Soldier where Cissnei was fighting.

 

            The black-haired fighter turned around to look and when he saw that she’d already dispatched her two opponents, he relaxed.  “Oh.”

 

            To Reno and Rude, Tseng questioned; “What is it like in the other sectors?”

 

            “We’ve got monsters crawling all over Midgar, boss,” Reno answered.  “Or human experiments…whatever the hell they are.  We took a few out and they all looked just like our missing boy Genesis, yo.”

 

            “Sephiroth said they were copies,” explained the Soldier.  “We’re trying to find the real one and stop him.”

 

            “So SOLDIER is having problems too,” Rude commented.

 

            “Where is Sephiroth, Zack?” questioned Tseng.

 

            The fighter shrugged.  “Last I spoke to him he was around here somewhere.  We split up.  Has the President gotten somewhere safe?”

 

            “Yes, he was flown out when this first began,” Tseng replied.

 

            Reno and Rude glanced at each other, surprised that Tseng was sharing this much information with a non-Turk.  The Wutaian looked at them next.  “Reno, Rude…take care of it.”

 

            “You got it,” Reno said.

 

            “Understood,” Rude answered.  The two of them headed through the archway leading out of the square.

 

            “Yo Rude,” Reno said as they climbed the stairs leading up to the next level of the sector.

 

            “Yeah?”

 

            Reno paused and scratched the back of his head.  “What exactly are we ‘taking care of’?”

 

            Rude stopped too and he frowned.  “I thought you knew.  You said ‘got it’.”

 

            “I thought I did too man, but I just realized he might not have just been talking about cleaning up the nasties all over town.  Do ya think he could have meant he wants us to look for Genesis?  Or maybe we’re supposed to find Sephiroth?”

 

            Rude looked back the way they came from uncertainly.  “It won’t look good if we go back and ask for clarification.”

 

            “Yeah, we’ll look like a couple of morons…and in front of that hot Soldier, too.”  Reno sighed.

 

            “You thought he was hot?” Rude asked.

 

            Reno shrugged.  “Well yeah.  It ain’t like I’m gonna yank my pants off and run back to jump on his dick or anything, though.  Yo, you’ve got a boogedy comin’ up behind you, man.”  Reno suddenly launched himself in the air and clicked activated his EMR.  Rude turned around and shoved his would-be attacker away from him, clearing room for his partner to land and smack the Genesis copy with his weapon.  The voltage from the rod stunned the creature and it fell backwards down the stairs.

 

            “How about we just assume Tseng wants us to clean up the mess and we’ll just keep an eye out for Genesis and Sephiroth while we’re at it, yo?” Reno suggested as he pulled a pack of clove cigarettes out of his jacket and lit one up.  He’d deactivated the charge on his weapon and was leaning casually against the stair railing, as if nothing had happened.

 

            Rude’s eyebrows lifted.  “Sounds good, but when did you start smoking those?”

 

            Reno looked at the cigarette and then looked up at Rude.  “When I was about sixteen, man.  You’ve just never seen me light up before, I guess.  It takes me weeks to get through one pack, yo.  Hey, you ain’t gonna lecture me now, are ya?”

 

            Rude sighed.  “Wouldn’t do any good if I did.  At least it’s not tobacco but it’s still not good for your lungs.”

 

            “I only smoke one a day, if I even do that,” Reno smirked.  “Promise.”

 

            He almost dropped his cigarette out of sheer terror when a blur of black and silver dropped down right in front of him.  Reno stared up into Sephiroth’s emerald, serpentine eyes and he staggered.

 

            “Fuckin’ hell,” he gasped, as he blinked.  “Where’d you come from?”

 

            “The roof,” Sephiroth pointed up and both Turks followed his gesture with their eyes to the four-story building looming over the stairwell.

 

            _~He jumped down from way up there?  Shit!~_

            “We’re just about to head that way,” Reno pointed to the top of the stairs.

 

            “That area is already cleared,” Sephiroth said as he started walking down the stairs with an animal grace.  His incredibly long mane of silver hair swayed with his motions.  “I suggest you move on to sector seven, if you’re searching for more targets.”

 

            The two Turks watched him go and they shrugged at each other.

 

~**************************************~

 

            _We had a few good scuffles after that but with the ShinRa army, SOLDIER and the Turks on the job, the city was cleaned out before long.  We never caught Genesis though.  We heard rumors that Angeal showed up near the Sector five Mako reactor but when the army got there they didn’t find a damned thing, yo.  The President stayed away somewhere secret for his protection for a while longer.  I called up Rufus and told him everything that had happened.  Tseng apparently told him most of it already so that part of the conversation was short.  I took Ma back home and stayed overnight to have breakfast with her in the morning._

_After a couple of days things seemed to die down and I decided it was past time for me to kick things up a notch with Rude.  I invited him over on the weekend for a pizza and beer night.  We rented some movies and sat around like a pair of bums, enjoying some male bonding._

 

~***********************************~

 

-To be continued __


	10. Chapter 10

“Thanks for the Memories”

A Reno fanfiction

Chapter 10: “Scratching the itch”

~*******************************************~

*Disclaimer:  The world that this story is set in and all characters therein belong to Square-Enix.  This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can’t get enough of this world and the characters.* 

~***********************************************~

            __

_Like I said before, I thought it was past time to kick things up a notch with Rude.  Tseng was away on assignment again so I’d have to wait to snatch him too.  Yeah, I’m greedy, yo.  I think Rude knew what I had planned when I invited him over for movies.  He acted a little anxious, so I decided not to make the moves on him too quick and get some food and beer in him first, so that he’d calm down._

_It was kind of funny; here I was, newly deflowered and pretty inexperienced, but my partner—who I knew damn good and well had an active sex life—was the nervous one.  I guess I just didn’t realize how into me he was, yo.  He ain’t exactly an open book._

~***********************************~

 

            “Are we getting anchovies on this pizza?”  Reno asked his partner as he dialed the number to make the order.

 

            “Not if you want me to eat it,” Rude said with a grimace.

 

            The redhead smirked, unsurprised by his companion’s dislike of that particular topping.  Not many people liked anchovies.  “It’s cool…I don’t have to have ‘em.”  The pizza parlor picked up on the other line and he started making his order.  While he was talking to the girl, he walked to the fridge and took out a couple of beers.  He motioned to his partner and tossed one lightly to him.  “Yeah, that’s right—one large supreme with extra cheese and one meat lover’s.  Forty minutes?  Okay, that’s great.  Thanks, yo.”

 

            He hung up and followed Rude into the living room.  “One of these days I want you to go club-hopping with me,” he said as he took a seat on the couch beside the bald Turk.  “I know you ain’t the social butterfly I am but I think you’d like it after you loosen up a little.”

 

            Rude shrugged.  “Maybe,” he alluded.  If nothing else, he would enjoy watching Reno have a good time.  The redhead was always entertaining, somehow.  Rude took a swallow from his beer and glanced sidelong at his partner as Reno scooted closer to him.  It was pretty obvious that he had plans for something besides conversation tonight and Rude had butterflies in his stomach for the first time since he’d lost his virginity. 

 

            ~There’s just something about him that makes me lose my cool and it’s more than just his looks.  The guy’s so energetic about everything and he kisses with so much feeling.  Oh hell…I’m already getting hard and he hasn’t even touched me, yet.~

 

            “You okay, partner?” Reno asked when the bald man shifted as if uncomfortable.  “You look sort of nervous and that ain’t like you.”

 

            “I’m fine,” Rude fibbed, trying to act more casual.  Reno’s hand settled on his knee and he fidgeted again.

 

            Reno smiled slyly and squeezed the knee that his hand was resting on.  “Good.  I wouldn’t want you feeling all tense and awkward, man.  This is our night to unwind, yo.  Who knows what’ll happen in the next few days, with that crazy-ass poet running loose and making copies of himself.”

 

            Rude nodded in agreement and reached for the TV remote, flipping it to the evening news because he couldn’t think of anything interesting to say.  The thought of being with Reno in every way tonight made him tongue-tied and he was afraid he’d end up spouting off something stupid in his nervousness.  The redhead chatted easily with him while they watched the news, not seeming to mind his lack of verbal reciprocation.  He rubbed his knee and thigh with casual sensuality but he didn’t do more than that. 

 

            The pizza arrived and they ate until they had their fill.  Rude was on his third beer when Reno combined the leftover slices in one box and put it in the refrigerator.  The bald Turk was starting to relax a little, sedated by a full belly and the beer.  When Reno came back and rejoined him on the couch, Rude felt calm enough to put an arm around him.  The redhead snuggled into his embrace and tilted his head back for a kiss.  Rude obliged, caressing the slighter man’s jaw with his hand while he pressed his mouth against his.  His heart immediately began to pound faster as Reno’s tongue played over his lips and lured his out.

 

            _~Damn, nobody kisses like him.  The way he works that tongue of his drives me crazy!~_

            Rude absently set his half-finished beer on the coffee table without breaking the intoxicating kiss.  With both hands free, he could do some proper making out.  The first thing he did was take Reno’s goggles off his head and free his hair from the ponytail.  He loved the way Reno looked with the bright strands falling free down his back and over his shoulders.  Rude usually wasn’t that into dudes with long hair but it suited his partner so well he wouldn’t have had it any other way.  He plundered Reno’s mouth and started working at the buttons on his shirt.  When he got halfway down, he paused and broke the kiss.

 

            “Reno,” he said huskily, “I’ve got to warn you, I’m probably not gonna want to stop before long.”

 

            “Fine by me,” Reno purred, cupping the back of his head demandingly to draw him near for another kiss.

 

            Rude groaned against his lips, his eagerness growing unbearable.  He’d intended to take his time and familiarize himself with Reno’s body at a leisurely pace, but he’d been frustrated for too long.  He wanted to touch his partner all over, while at the same time he wanted to be inside of him as soon as possible.  His fingers sifted through Reno’s hair as his other hand finished unbuttoning his shirt and began to stroke his chest and belly.  Reno whimpered sweetly against his mouth when he teased his nipples one at a time and the redhead started working at Rude’s clothes.

 

            The kissing grew more heated and a little sloppier as the two men became more excited.  Rude’s dress jacket was soon hanging open and so was his shirt.  Reno’s hot little mouth left his and started working its magic on his neck and chest, while his busy hands eased the bald man’s jacket off of his shoulders.  Rude could no longer resist his urges and he slipped his hand down between Reno’s parted thighs and started rubbing the bulge there.  The redhead gasped his name in an appreciative tone, rubbing himself eagerly against the touch. 

 

            Rude suddenly stopped and Reno pulled back to look at him with a stricken expression.  “Baby, don’t bail out on me now,” he begged breathlessly.

 

            “Hell no,” Rude said roughly.  “I just want to move it into the bedroom, Red.”

 

            “Yo, I don’t care where you fuck me, just so you do it,” Reno said without shame.

 

            “Damn,” Rude gasped with feeling as the redhead’s honest, fervent reply fired up his already painful state of need to a boiling point.  He pulled Reno into his lap and struggled to his feet, carrying the lighter man with him.  Reno’s thighs wrapped around his waist and the redhead grinned against his lips as he staggered out of the living room and down the hallway.

 

            “At least you’re not doing it bridal style,” Reno chuckled.  He nibbled the bald man’s ear, his teeth scraping against one of the hoops piercing it. 

 

            “You’re no blushing bride, partner,” Rude countered, capturing his mouth hungrily. 

 

Their tongues caressed and he squeezed the redhead’s tempting ass as he carried him into the bedroom.  They fell into the bed, still locked together.  Reno stretched his right arm out and clicked on the bedside lamp, so that they wouldn’t be in the dark.  He pulled off his partner’s shades and set them next to the lamp, humping against his grinding hips shamelessly.  Rude’s mouth left his and started exploring his chest and stomach, his hands pulling his jacket and shirt off and sliding them out from under him.  Reno likewise finished removing the bald man’s open shirt and then he undid his belt buckle.  When he had it open, he deftly popped the button on his trousers and tugged the zipper down.

 

Rude’s jaw clenched with pleasure as his partner’s hand reached into his pants and freed his cock.  He stared down at him for a moment as he stroked him, admiring the sight of Reno’s pale chest rising and falling rapidly with his excited breaths. 

 

“I’ve been wanting this, baby,” Reno groaned as he stroked his partner’s big shaft and thought of how good it was going to feel inside of him.

 

“Not as bad as I have,” Rude answered plainly.  Before Reno could try and counter that, he kissed him again, thrusting his tongue aggressively between his parted lips.  The moan of desire Reno made against his mouth was gratifying and thrilling.  Rude dragged his hands down and started working at getting his partner’s pants undone too.  He drew back again to take the redhead’s shoes off, too desperate to be with him to worry about setting them neatly on the floor.  He reached down to still Reno’s exploring hand long enough to tug his pants off before wriggling out of his own and pulling his underwear down.

 

“Hot damn, you’re a dish,” Reno complimented when the bald man’s muscular body was revealed to him in full. 

 

Rude’s eyes were likewise caressing Reno’s body as he stretched out on top of him and kissed him avidly.  He suddenly remembered that his condom was in his wallet and he grunted with frustration as he started to leave Reno again to retrieve it.

 

“Gotta get the protection,” he explained when his partner looked at him with frustration.

 

“Oh, that,” Reno said.  “Just check the right-side nightstand, baby.  I bought a box and some lube yesterday and put it in there, just in case.”

 

“Thank fuck,” Rude sighed with relief, reaching out to pull the drawer open and search for the items.  He kissed and licked Reno’s neck as he felt around inside and located the tube of lubricant.  He lifted it out and glanced at it, then did a double take.  “Hmm, raspberry flavored?”

 

“Uh-huh,” Reno grinned.  “You gonna eat me up, partner?”

 

“Best dessert a guy could want,” Rude agreed as he popped open the cap.  It was a brand-new tube—the seal was still on it.  He tore the seal off and squirted some into his palm, then sat up and rubbed his palms together to warm it up.  Reno watched with needy, hot eyes and squirmed restlessly.  Rude smirked at him.  “Impatient.”

 

“Fuck yeah, I’m impatient,” agreed the redhead.  “I’m horny as hell, man.”

 

Rude didn’t argue that—he felt the same.  Still, he didn’t want to rush the moment he’d been waiting for.  He told Reno to spread his thighs and when the redhead complied, he scooted so that he was sitting between them.  He reached down and curled one hand around his partner’s poised cock, while slipping the other hand beneath it to rub the lube into his balls.  Reno groaned softly and lifted into the touch, his hands grabbing at the sheets for support as Rude slowly stroked him off.  The bald man started out gentle, wanting to gradually work his partner into a frenzy of pleasure.  He stared down at the pink-capped organ as he moved his squeezing hand up and down the length of it.  A drop of precum formed on the tip and he impulsively bent over to lick it off with his tongue, making Reno gasp his name.

 

Encouraged by the reaction, Rude couldn’t resist sucking the straining cock into his mouth.  The flavored lube coating it tasted good and he sucked harder and stroked the underside firmly with his tongue.  Reno’s breathy whimper made him groan and he tongued the slit in the cap and massaged his balls with gentle pressure.  He forced himself to take his time with it, bracing Reno’s hip with one hand to try and hold him still.  The redhead was panting softly and whining with need by the time Rude was ready to move on.  He could have finished the job but he really wanted Reno to come when he was inside of him, if he could procrastinate for that long. 

 

“Rude…I need you,” Reno groaned when the bald man retreated again and reached for the lube.

 

“You’ll get me, Red.  Just hold on a little longer,” Rude answered softly.  Before using more lubricant, he gripped the other man’s hips and guided him to roll onto his stomach.  Reno complied and propped himself up on his elbows while the other man squirted out more lube and warmed it up in his hands.  Rude looked down at the pristine white ass he was about to claim and he thought he was going to lose it for a second.  He took a couple of deep breaths and waited until he felt calm enough to keep going without blowing his load.

 

First he eased a heavily lubed finger into the narrow passage.  Reno practically purred in response and Rude swallowed hard as he found the spot immediately that was usually more difficult to locate in other men.  He stroked it and Reno moaned and raised his ass encouragingly.  Rude granted his silent request and stimulated the spot for a while, until he thought his partner was getting too close to climax.  He stopped and worked on stretching him, adding a second finger and carefully pumping and spreading them inside of his tight heat.  He couldn’t avoid brushing against the gland as he worked but he did his best to avoid excessive stimulation.

 

“Oh god,” Reno grunted, rocking himself against the other Turk’s thrusting fingers.  “Fuck, you’ve got big fingers…”  He could feel how easily Rude’s ministrations were dilating him and he could hardly wait to feel that thick, long cock of his slide home. 

 

“Hurt?” Rude asked with a pause.

 

Reno shook his head and panted softly.  “No way, baby…feels fucking great.”  He stretched his arms out and laid his head on the pillow, relaxing his body and moaning with pleasure.

 

Rude inhaled sharply as his partner’s dirty talk came close to undoing him again.  He was starting to be a little afraid that he’d wreck the guy before the night was through, as easily as Reno excited him.  He would definitely have to make sure he was good and stretched before he took him because the last thing Rude wanted to do was end up having to rush him to the emergency room with a bleeding ass.  With that thought came inspiration and he applied even more lube before removing his fingers and spreading Reno’s cheeks with his hands.

 

Reno’s head came up with surprise when he felt his partner’s tongue slip into his body.  He craned his neck and gasped; “Yo, that’s…oooh…y-you’re a kinky dawg!”

 

Rude couldn’t hold back a chuckle and he paused.  “Want me to stop?”

 

“Nuh-uh,” Reno answered quickly.

 

The bald man resumed and thrust his tongue in and out until Reno was squirming and begging him raggedly to fuck him.  He held out for a few more minutes, enjoying the sounds his partner made and the way his body responded.  He stopped tonguing him and went back to fingering him for a bit, until he was certain that he wouldn’t hurt him when he entered him.  He withdrew his fingers and stroked Reno’s vivid hair.

 

“I’ll be right back, Red.  Just relax and stay that way for me.”

 

Reno twisted to look up at him as he got out of the bed.  “Where the hell are you going, yo?”

 

“Gonna use some mouthwash,” Rude explained patiently.  “I just finished licking your asshole…you want me to kiss you without rinsing out first?” 

 

 Reno snickered.  “Well damn…when you put it like that it sounds nasty.”  He sighed and plopped his head down on the pillow.  “Yeah, go rinse your mouth out.  I guess I can wait a few more minutes.”

 

Rude hurried to the bathroom and took the mint mouthwash out of the medicine cabinet, rinsing and gargling twice with it before heading back to the bedroom.  He paused at the door and admired the sight of his naked partner stretched out on his stomach.  He approached slowly and pushed the redhead’s thighs apart as he climbed onto the bed.  Reno propped up on his elbows again and turned his head as Rude stretched out on top of him.  The bald man captured his partner’s lips and kissed him deeply while he reached out to get the condoms out of the drawer.  Rude’s fingers trembled as he got a packet out of the box and tore it open.  He levered himself up and rolled it on before grabbing the lube and applying it to his jutting arousal.

 

“Ready for me, baby?” Rude murmured softly, kissing Reno’s jaw and neck.

 

“Been ready,” Reno smirked.  Rude’s response to that was to position himself and rock forward, stealing the redhead’s breath and making his eyes go wide.  “Ah, fuck,” Reno panted as the large cock slowly drove into him.  “R-Rude…baby…god, it’s so big!”  He hissed as the invading girth pressed hard against his erotic zone and made him throb deliciously inside.  When the bald man paused in concern, Reno gasped, “It’s okay…don’t stop!”

 

Rude was doubtful but he knew Reno would lose his temper if he procrastinated.  He withdrew a little and pumped again, driving himself deeper.  He closed his eyes and groaned at the feel of the redhead’s tight heat.  Muttering a soft curse of unbearable pleasure, he thrust again firmly and entered him the rest of the way.  He held it there for a minute until Reno’s ass stopped clenching so hard around him, then he started a slow rhythm, pushing Reno down so that he couldn’t move a lot and therefore risk damaging himself.  “Easy, Red,” the bald man murmured shakenly as his partner fought to rise and undulate against him. 

 

Reno was groaning and panting roughly, calling out Rude’s name pleadingly as the bald man gradually increased the force and speed of his strokes.  The redhead’s face was already getting flushed with passion and his eager moans stroked Rude’s ego as well as his desire.  He moved experimentally over his partner, careful not to let himself get too vigorous too soon.  When he was sure Reno was adjusted enough to handle it, Rude started driving his cock in with sharp, hard thrusts. 

 

Reno’s cries grew louder and Rude clenched his jaw and muttered dirty comments in the panting redhead’s ear, surprising himself. “I want to fuck this tight ass until you can’t walk,” he growled.  His jaw dropped a second after he said it.  He’d never been a talker in the bedroom before but Reno’s delightful cries and responses made him so horny he couldn’t see straight.  Even worse, Reno was responding with his own dirty talk and exciting him even further.

 

“Put me in a wheelchair, baby!”

 

Maybe Reno could take it but Rude sure as hell couldn’t.  He groaned and slid his hands under the redhead’s hips to lift his ass, then he held onto them tight and started slamming into him desperately.  “Reno, you’re…so hot,” he panted.

 

Reno was crying out incoherently and clutching his pillow.  He rocked against his partner as much as Rude’s grip on his hips allowed it, feeling powerful jolts of sensation each time Rude’s dick shoved into his body.  He whimpered as the pressure grew and exploded, not even having enough breath to shout that he was coming as he spurted his seed all over the sheets.  He trembled in the aftermath and tried to catch his breath, but Rude’s hard thrusts made him groan and holler with every breath he drew.

 

Rude stopped clutching his partner’s hips and stroked his belly, gasping praises to him as he felt Reno’s body clench and quiver around his cock.  He felt his orgasm approaching and he groaned the redhead’s name and changed to slower, deeper strokes.  Reno panted encouragement to him as if he sensed he was getting close and Rude bowed over the smaller man and groaned raggedly as he unloaded inside of him.  He shoved in deep and held it there while his cock twitched and filled the condom.  When it was finished, he pulled out of Reno and collapsed on his side so that he wouldn’t accidentally crush the smaller man.  Reno rolled onto his side with a wince and embraced him, sighing with happy satisfaction.

 

“Mmmm, we’ll have to do that again soon,” Reno sighed as he kissed his partner’s neck and caught his breath.  Rude was also breathing heavily and the bigger man’s hands stroked Reno’s back and ass with leisurely sensuality.

 

“Looking forward to it,” Rude answered huskily. 

 

~***************************************~

 

            _I actually did have a little trouble walking for a few hours after that, but by the time morning came around I was just a little sore.  We took a shower together and had breakfast, thinking we might go to the movies or something later on.  We never got the chance to, though.  We got word that Genesis was attacking ShinRa HQ again.  Yo, what was this prick after?  We hurried there to see what was happening but this time we were too late to be any help.  Genesis got away again after he tried to kill professor Hojo and Zack stopped him._

_Now Sephiroth was locked up in the Data Room, researching fuck knows what.  It was making people uneasy but I couldn’t tell you why. A few days after that, Tseng went with Zack on a mission to Modeoheim because they heard Genesis and Hollander were there.  They found him and Zack did away with his sorry ass (well, he thought he did but you know how these things are).  They caught Hollander, too.  Tseng got hurt in a bathouse there, of all places.  It turns out that Angeal was there waiting for him and he ended up going apeshit.  Zack had to put Hewley down, poor guy.  ShinRa sent him on vacation in Costa del Sol after that because he was all fucked up over having to kill his buddy.  Guess who was sent to keep an eye on him there, man?  If you guessed us, you’re right._  

~****************************************~

 

            “I’m not wearing a bathing suit,” Tseng informed Reno with his arms crossed over his chest.

 

            “Why not?” Reno asked in puzzlement.  “Enjoy the sun like the rest of us, yo!”

 

            “We aren’t here to enjoy the sun,” Tseng said moodily, “we’re here to make sure that a certain, dangerous First doesn’t lose his mind and take up notions of rebellion.”

 

            Reno shared a look with Rude and sighed.  “Yeah, yeah…so our ‘vacation’ is just a smoke screen.  Don’t you think Fair’s gonna get suspicious if he sees you acting like it’s a business trip, though?”

 

            Tseng lowered his gaze.  “I have little doubt in my mind that he’s aware of our true purpose here.  Unfortunately for Zackary, his mind is too preoccupied with thoughts of what he had to do to care.”

 

            “Okay, then.  Since there’s nothing else to do but keep an eye on him, I hope you don’t mind if we take a load off,” Reno said.

 

            Tseng eyed the redhead’s purple swimming trunks and shrugged.  “Just don’t stay out in the sun for too long,” he advised.  “With your fair complexion you’ll burn easily.”

 

            Reno grinned at him and winked.  “Then I’ll just let you rub some of that herbal junk you’ve got all over my body if I get burned, yo.”

 

            Tseng smiled a little and motioned for him to go.  “Have fun, Reno.  Keep your cell handy.”  He watched the redhead leave the Inn room with his partner, talking about getting a tropical cocktail.  The Wutaian sighed, wishing he could relax enough to act on the flirtations and not-so-subtle offers his subordinate had been making during this pseudo vacation.  He was worried about everything that had happened, as well as Rufus.  The VP was still safely in Mideel but he wouldn’t relax until they could get force Hollander to give them information about the G-project he’d been working on and what it had done to Genesis and Angeal.  Director Lazard was also missing now, to add further complications.  Then there was Aerith Gainsborough, who was believed to be the last surviving Cetra and evidently had a bit of a thing with Zack.

 

            “A tropical cocktail does sound nice,” Tseng sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.  Moderation was the key.  If nothing else it would be relaxing to watch Reno’s antics, even if he had no intention of participating in them.  He stepped outside and pulled his shades out of his pocket, looking around for Reno and Rude.  He spotted them at a drink stand in the square and he walked over to join them.  Reno spotted him coming and he waved, sucking on the straw of some sort of blue cocktail in his hand.

 

            “Yo, change your mind, boss?” The redhead asked.

 

            “About the drink, at least,” Tseng admitted with a nod.

 

            “Good, you need to unwind a little,” Reno said.

 

            “Where is Cissnei?” Tseng asked after ordering his drink and receiving it.

 

            “On the beach with Fair,” Rude answered.  “She gets along with him pretty good.”

 

            “Females generally do,” Tseng said with a little shake of his head.  “So long as she doesn’t forget her place, I don’t see a problem with it.”

 

            Reno opened his mouth to say something that was probably going to be crude, but he didn’t get a chance.  Someone screamed and the three Turks turned to see what the ruckus was about.

 

            “Genesis copies?” Rude said with surprise as half a dozen of the familiar creatures rushed toward them.

 

            “Yo, these guys are like hemorrhoids,” Reno snarled, “They won’t get off our asses!  Fuck, I left my EMR in my room, too!”

 

            The copies headed straight toward them, clearly with purpose.  Tseng drew his gun and began to fire before they could close the distance, bringing down two of them.  Rude and Reno engaged them with their fists when they got close enough.

 

            “Better warn Fair and Cissnei,” Rude grunted as he punched one opponent and ducked the attack of another.

 

            “We can handle these guys, boss,” Reno agreed as he kicked one in the stomach.

 

            Tseng hesitated for a moment but his subordinates did seem to be holding their own, so he started toward the beach at a run.  His phone rang and he picked it up hastily.  “This is Tseng.”  He listened with a frown and bit off another sigh.  “We’ll come to investigate after we take care of a slight problem here, Sir.”  He put the phone away and kept running.  He charged down the stairs and onto the sand where Zack and Cissnei were talking to each other.  “Genesis copies!” He warned when they noticed him running toward them.  No sooner did the shout leave his lips than three more copies burst out of the surf and went for Zack.

 

            “What the hell?” Zack shouted.  He glanced around for a weapon and shrugged, grabbing one of the giant umbrellas and folding it to wield it like a sword.

 

            “That’s an…interesting tactic,” Tseng muttered as the black-haired Soldier launched into deadly action.  It was almost comical.  He thought about moving in to aid him but it was too fascinating to watch the fighter give them the business end of an umbrella, and he took them out with relative ease.  He twirled the makeshift weapon as skillfully as he normally did his sword and he poked and hacked at the copies while dodging their attacks. 

 

Cissnei stood next to Tseng and watched with an openly mystified expression.  “When I heard they trained Soldiers to use anything in their environment as a weapon, I thought it was just a figure of speech,” she said.

 

It was over in a few moments and Zack stood over the dispatched bodies and shook his head.  “What are these guys still doing around?  I thought I took care of Genesis!”

 

“It may not be that simple,” Tseng reasoned.  “It’s possible that Genesis is controlling them through the lifestream.  We won’t know what he’s capable of until we can get information from Hollander, and Junon is currently under attack.  Your vacation is over, Zack.  We need to leave for Junon and investigate.”

 

Zack didn’t argue with him.  Reno and Rude joined them, both men a little out of breath but otherwise unharmed.  Tseng told them what he’d just finished telling Zack and Cissnei.  “Gather your things and get the chopper ready,” he ordered when he was finished.

 

“Think it’s a coincidence?” Reno asked doubtfully.

 

“No,” Tseng said with a frown.  “I think the attack on Junon is related to Hollander, but we won’t know that until we get there.  They’ve arranged for extra guards to join the President and the Vice President at their respective havens, just to be safe.”

 

~**************************************~

 

            _As soon as we got to Junon I had to switch to a chopper with a full tank and Rude and I took off to Mideel to give Rufus extra protection.  Tseng went into the city with Zack and helped evacuate people.  He was right all along—the “unknown” army invading Junon was more Genesis copies, yo.  Hollander ended up getting away after all, the slippery bastard.  Sephiroth showed up and said that Midgar was under attack again, so Zack rushed back there to protect his little girlfriend in the slums._

_Yo, if you think all this shit’s crazy now, it’s nothing compared to the shitstorm that happened a couple of weeks after they cleared out Midgar again.  There were reports of monster attacks near the Mako reactor in Nibelheim.  Zack and Sephiroth went to investigate with a few army grunts and everything went to hell in a hand-basket after that._

 

~*************************************~

 

-To be continued

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	11. Chapter 11

“Thanks for the Memories”

A Reno fanfiction

Chapter 11: “Cover up”

~*******************************************~

*Disclaimer:  The world that this story is set in and all characters therein belong to Square-Enix.  This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can’t get enough of this world and the characters.* 

~***********************************************~

 

            _I remember what I was doing when we got the news.  I was in Mideel with Rufus and Rude.  The boss and I were in bed, talking about—if you can believe it—dragging Rude into bed with us.  When the phone started ringing I didn’t answer it, ‘cause I was busy trying to compromise a deal between the three of us._

 

~*************************************~

 

            “How precisely do you think this would work, when both Rude and I have a preference for being on top?” Rufus questioned between kisses.

 

            “Come on, boss…take one for the team,” Reno quipped with a mischievous grin.

 

            “Oh, I don’t think so,” Rufus chuckled.

 

            “Well then, you could take turns doing me, and giving head doesn’t have anything to do with who tops who.”  Reno nibbled the VP’s earlobe and teased his nipple, making him groan softly.

 

            “I suppose that could work, if he’s interested in trying it out.”  Rufus honestly wasn’t sure about that, but Reno seemed to think he could draw him in.

 

            “If I didn’t think he wanted it, I wouldn’t have asked you about it, Sir.”  Reno licked the blonde’s parted lips briefly, drawing back teasingly when Rufus tried to deepen the kiss.  “He’s a little easier to read than you are.”

 

            “Come here and stop teasing,” Rufus demanded, cupping the back of the Turk’s head and drawing his mouth to his.  Reno submitted and let his tongue slide into his mouth to explore.  The blonde slipped his hand under the covers and began to massage his erection, making Reno moan.

 

            The phone rang and Rufus ignored it.  It stopped after a bit and he relaxed and rolled Reno onto his back, his excitement growing.  They’d already had sex earlier but he was ready to go again.  Rufus reached for the condoms and lube, kissing Reno hard with lusty vigor.  The Turk’s lithe body writhed beneath his as his stroking brought him closer to climax.  Rufus had to temporarily stop to put the condom on and apply some lube, but Reno was still stretched from earlier so that was one less thing to slow them down.  The redhead’s hungry whimpers were distracting and Rufus was so eager it took him a moment to get positioned properly once Reno was spread out beneath him.

 

            “Unh…great angle,” Reno complimented with a sharp gasp as Rufus thrust home and hit him just right inside.  The Turk’s cellphone began to ring and he groaned in frustration.  “I’ll call ‘em back later,” he murmured, cupping his boss’s ass encouragingly. 

 

Rufus thrust again and the redhead cried out.  The VP smiled with prideful arousal as he watched his lover’s expressions and started up a slow, steady rhythm.  Reno’s teeth worried his bottom lip and Rufus kissed him demandingly.  The phone kept ringing until the answering service picked up and the couple thought no more about it.  Reno angled his pelvis to give the other man greater penetration access and combed his fingers through his sandy blonde hair, admiring his handsome face as he rocked over him.

 

Rufus’s phone rang again and the blonde glared at it as if it were an irritating child kicking the back of his seat.  ~Why do people always want to call me when I’m in the middle of sex?!~  He didn’t cease his lovemaking and he did his best to ignore it, vowing to turn the damned ringer off after he finished taking Reno.  The Turk began to pant heavily and buck under him, driving his thrusts deeper with each pump.  Rufus groaned softly in response to the moans bursting from Reno’s lips—which were growing louder and louder. 

 

Someone began to knock heavily on the door and Rufus groaned in frustration.  “What is it?” he snapped.

 

 “Sir,” Rude’s voice drifted in from the other side of the door, “The Company’s been trying to reach you.  There’s been a serious incident in Nibelheim.”

 

Rufus paused his pumping and met Reno’s eyes.  Both of them thought of the mission that Sephiroth and Zack were on and the number of phone calls they’d both received in such a short time took on a horrible new meaning.  “How serious is this incident?” Rufus called out.

 

“I really think you should talk to Tseng, Sir.  There’ve been…casualties.”

 

Rufus groaned and swore softly.  “Give me a moment and I’ll call Tseng and my father.”

 

“Yes, sir.”  Rude replied.

 

“Sounds like we might have lost some grunts or something,” Reno said.

 

“Worse than that,” Rufus guessed.  “There wouldn’t be this much fussing over it if it the casualties were only cadets.”

 

“So you think one of the First Class Soldiers…?”  Reno couldn’t even comprehend it, after the things he’d seen Zack and Sephiroth do.

 

“I doubt that, but it’s possible there was an accident with the Mako reactor or the monsters reported at the site killed some civilians.”  Rufus kissed him lightly as he pulled out, half-expecting the redhead to sulk over being left unsatisfied.  Even Reno recognized the seriousness of the situation and he didn’t complain.  Rufus got out of bed and disposed of his condom, then started getting dressed.  Reno followed suit and he got his phone out of his blazer pocket when it started ringing again.

 

“Yo, Reno.”  He said.

 

“Reno, it’s Tseng.  We’ve got a disaster on our hands and I need you to stop whatever you’re doing and get the Vice President on the phone with his father.”  The Wutaian’s voice was unusually tense.

 

“Yeah, he’s getting ready to call him now.  What’s up, man?”  Reno glanced at his lover and his expression must have shown how concerned he felt.  Rufus paused in buttoning up his shirt and frowned at the redhead, who shrugged in response and listened to what Tseng was saying.

 

“The town has been burned to the ground,” Tseng began.

 

“No shit?” Reno interrupted, “Was it Genesis again, like in Banora?”

 

“No, let me finish,” Tseng said tightly.  “It was Sephiroth.  Something happened in that reactor and he went insane during the investigation.  He slaughtered half of the town and set it on fire.  Zackary Fair and the surviving grunt assigned to the mission both attempted to stop him and they were fatally wounded.  From what we’ve gleaned from the investigation, one of them killed Sephiroth before they were overcome by their injuries and he had Jenova’s head with him when he fell into the reactor.”

 

Reno’s mouth dropped open and Rufus stared at him as he finished dialing his father’s cell on his phone.  “What’s going on?” Rufus asked.

 

“Uh…Sephiroth decided to go on a killing spree in Nibelheim and ended up falling into the reactor with some chick’s head.” Reno answered in confusion.  He had no idea who Jenova was or what in the hell Sephiroth would have wanted with her head—all he knew about SOLDIER was that they were exposed to high levels of Mako and the Jenova project was as yet a mystery to him.  “Zack laid the smack on him but he got poked good himself.  Hey Tseng, are they ALL dead?”

 

“I don’t know,” Tseng answered truthfully, “professor Hojo showed up with the clearance orders to take both Fair and Strife into the research lab of Shinra mansion—I assume to attempt to save their lives.”

 

Reno winced.  “If that spook took them downstairs it probably ain’t just to stitch ‘em up and send ‘em home, man.  Gives me the shivers to think about it.”

 

“It’s out of my hands,” Tseng replied in a frustrated tone.  “The President gave him autonomy to conduct whatever endeavors he’s getting up to.”

 

Reno was growing more confused by the minute.  He heard his lover speaking on the phone with the President and he thoughtfully went into the bathroom so that their conversations wouldn’t overlap.

 

“There’s a lot about the First Class Soldiers—particularly Sephiroth, Angeal and Genesis—that was kept top secret.  Jenova isn’t just ‘some chick’; she was found in a geological strain.  Hojo insisted that she was Cetra and Sephiroth was his prized experiment, injected with high doses of her cells.  That’s what made him so unique and powerful.  Hojo used to work with a man named Dr. Gast, who disappeared while attempted to protect a woman called Ifalna.  She was herself the only living Cetra ever found.  As for Genesis and Angeal, they were both Hollander’s experiment.”  Tseng paused and took a deep breath.

 

Reno stood dumbfounded, trying to work out all of the information he’d been given.  He didn’t know what was stranger—the story he was hearing or Tseng’s anxious tone.  “Wait a minute…you said Jenova was a Cetra, but then you said this Ifalna chick was the only living Cetra.  Are you saying Hojo put cells from a corpse in Sephiroth?  This whole thing is a big pile of weird.”

 

Tseng tried to make it less confusing.  “From what I understand, the Jenova specimen isn’t dead so much as in a form of stasis.  There’s been speculation from the science team over Hojo’s conclusion that Jenova is Cetra.  Some believe she was an alien life form that infested the true Cetra like a virus and caused their demise, but interestingly enough, a lot of people pushing that theory have disappeared over the years.”

 

“Why are you telling me all this?” Reno finally asked.  “I mean it’s really interesting but I’m not a scientist and wasn’t it you that said the Turks don’t need to know details…just do as we’re told?”

 

“I’m telling you this because it’s a need to know basis,” Tseng explained.  “I’ll explain it to Rude and other selected Turks as well.  Something is in the works and out elite members need to know what we’re dealing with, Reno.”

 

“Yo, I’m ‘elite’?” Asked the redhead with surprise.

 

“You’ve risen quickly through the ranks and proven yourself more than capable, not only of doing your job but also having the capability to think quickly and improvise.  In fact, I’ve been considering assigning you as my second in command—despite your abysmal grammar.”  The last sentence was spoken with a touch of fondness.

 

Reno blinked.  “What about Rude?  He’s been with the Turks longer than I have.”

 

“Rude is most comfortable reacting, not acting,” Tseng explained.  “He would have no desire to take on the leadership role even if he were cut out for it.”

 

 _~Hell, what makes you think I’m cut out for it?~_ Reno thought silently.  Aloud, he said:  “I guess I’m your man then, if that’s what you want.  So what’s going to happen now?  Are we going to try to find out what happened to Zack or what?”

 

“You’ve grown attached to him,” sighed the Turk leader. 

 

Reno shrugged uncomfortably.  “I ain’t mooning over him if that’s what you’re worried about, but he’s a decent guy.”

 

            “Of course, he is,” Tseng agreed.  “I just want to be certain your priorities are straight and you don’t take it into your head to break protocol.  At least, not until I say so.”

 

Reno frowned.  “What are you planning, boss?”

 

“I don’t know, yet,” Tseng answered guardedly.  “With the condition he was in, we may as well assume that Zackary Fair didn’t make it.  Soldier or no, his wounds were extensive when they took him into the mansion.  For the time being, we have to concentrate on cleaning up the mess in Nibelheim and abiding by the Company’s decisions regarding the crisis.  The President wants Rufus back at Headquarters for a board meeting.  Something’s going on with Hojo and I’m certain it has something to do with the incident.  Pack up your things and bring the VP home.”

 

Reno lowered his eyes and frowned.  “Sure thing, yo.  See you soon.”  He hung up and replaced his cell in his pocket but he didn’t leave the restroom right away.  He shut the lid on the toilet seat instead and sank down on it, putting his head in his hands.  “Bunch of shit, is what this is,” he muttered.

 

~****************************************~

 

            _The whole way back to Midgar, we were all quiet—even me.  I kept thinking about the lab in the basement of the ShinRa mansion and wondering why the hell they’d put one there, when thee was a whole department dedicated to science at Headquarters.  The only reason I could think of was there were some projects Hojo didn’t want the other scientists knowing about.  It made me wonder how much I really knew about the Company I worked for.  It gave me the shivers, to think of Fair laying there in that basement with that creep Hojo doing Gaia only knew what to him._

            We were called to the board meeting as soon as we got there.  All of the high ranking Turks and employees were there and so was Hojo.  I kept looking at the freak and trying to read his face.  We found out what he was doing when the meeting started—he was trying to recreate Sephiroth and by that, I mean he was going to use the same process on “specimens” that he’d used to get the results that made Sephiroth what he was.  He said something about trying to breed the last Cetra with the result…which confused me until I found out he was talking about Ifalna’s daughter; who happened to be the girl in the ruined church that Zack liked to hang out with.  I had a bad feeling that Zack was one of the “specimens” but I couldn’t do anything about it if he was, so I just blew it off and made myself think of the guy as dead, like Tseng.

_This new project of his was being carried out in the ShinRa mansion in Nibelheim and the President ordered the town to be rebuilt and Company employees to be assigned there to keep things hushed and under control.  I don’t think a single one of us were comfortable with that but orders were orders, you know?  Tseng flat-out asked if the deception was really necessary and you should have seen the way the President and Hojo looked at him; like a bug they were thinking about crushing._

_After the board meeting, Rufus had a private meeting with us in his office.  He didn’t want us getting too involved in the Nibelheim issue until he could dig up more information about why Hojo was doing this in the first place.  That was fine by me.  He noticed how tense Tseng was and he told him to take some time off and let me take charge for a little while.  That was when even more shit hit the fan, because the President found out about it and he came to Rufus’ office before we even finished our meeting.  I thought we were going to end up with at least one dead body, man.  I didn’t realize ‘till then how much Rufus really meant to me._

 

~***********************************~

 

            “I’d like to know what you think you’re doing, leaving the Turks leaderless at a time like this,” President Shinra said as soon as he was buzzed in.  Reno and the others wisely kept their mouths shut as Rufus stared up at his father coldly.

 

            “You appointed management of the Turks to me,” the VP reminded, “and I’ve made the decision I feel is best.  They won’t be leaderless—Reno is quite capable and my employees are no good to me if they’re overworked and overstressed.  This is simply a therapeutic, temporary leave of absence.”

 

            The President studied Reno with scorn and beneath the desk, Rufus’s hands clenched into fists.  “You want to put him in charge of an elite branch of agents?” he snapped incredulously.  “You’ve taken leave of your senses!”

 

             “My decisions are several times more solid than yours, Father.”  Rufus said the word “Father” with unmistakable derision and the President’s jowls quivered with rage.

 

            “I’m warning you, Rufus,” the older man said.

 

            “What will you do?” Rufus demanded bitingly, “Make me disappear, like Mother?  What did she do, I wonder?  Show me too much affection, or was it that she didn’t show you enough?”

 

            Reno and Rude both looked at Rufus with sharp surprise, wondering if there was any truth to the accusation.  Tseng didn’t express any surprise but he was adept at holding a mask of stoicism in most situations.

 

            “That’s a dangerous accusation you’re making,” The President said.  “Too dangerous, for most men.”

 

            “Oh?” Rufus shot back.  From his vantage point, Tseng saw him reach for his concealed gun so smoothly the motion was undetectable from the front.  The Turk Director tensed slightly as his lover shot another challenge at the President.  “Why don’t you show me how dangerous it is, rather than talk about it?”

 

            Both the President and his son moved at the same time and Reno muttered a startled curse as they pulled guns on one another.  Rude automatically drew his gun as well and aimed it at the President before he could even think about it.  Reno held up his EMR and looked back and forth between his lover and the President, ready to throw himself in front of Rufus.  Tseng started to reach for his gun but he stopped at the last minute, his jaw tense as he considered other options that wouldn’t lead to body bags.

 

            “Don’t do this,” Tseng reasoned in a voice that sounded much calmer than he felt.  “The Company has suffered enough needless casualties without the leaders killing one another in a moment of rage.”

 

            Father and son stared unblinkingly at each other and the President said; “Do you really think you have the nerve to do it, Rufus?”

 

            Reno began to step between them to shield his lover and Rufus noticed.  “Don’t, Reno.  Stay where you are.”

 

            The young Turk swallowed and reluctantly stopped inching over.  Rufus kept his attention on the man he’d learned to hate so much over the years and he smirked coolly at him.  “If you think I’m lacking the nerve to do it, Father, make your move and find out.”

 

            “Please, stop this,” Tseng reiterated, coming up behind Rufus’s chair to lay a gentle hand on his shoulder.  “Rufus.”

 

            President Shinra narrowed his eyes at Tseng when he saw the intimate touch and heard the way he spoke his son’s name.  Up until now, the Wutaian had kept his affections for Rufus so well hidden in public that they were virtually undetectable.  The President had mistakenly believed Rufus had only taken the lanky redhead as his lover but now he realized that he had at least two.  Judging by the way the bald Turk had aimed at him instead of his son right away, it was possible he was in on the unsavory relationship as well—though the President never would have thought he was gay.  The only thing that redeemed the situation was the icy, calculating look in Rufus’s eyes as they stared into his.  Gay or not, the young VP was properly ruthless and the President was pleased for the first time since he’d found out Rufus’s appetites.

 

            “Now you’re acting like my son,” said the President as he took a gamble and put his weapon away.  For the space of two heartbeats, Rufus kept his gun trained on him and the President wondered if he was really going to shoot him.  It was obvious that the Turks were all his now, at least in loyalty.

 

            “Koibito,” Tseng murmured to Rufus.  The soft, Wutaian endearment cut through Rufus’s haze of anger and soothed it away.  The blonde slowly raised his gun and allowed the black-haired Turk to take it from him.

 

            “You can have it your way,” The President said when the danger was gone.  “I expect you to deal with the consequences if your decision causes further erosion of the state of this Company, Rufus.  Remember though—I am still the arbitrator of what goes in this organization.  I want that to be made perfectly clear to yourself and your Turks.”

 

            “Of course.  Good evening, Father,” Rufus said curtly.

 

            The President smirked ever so slightly and took his leave.  When he was gone, Reno breathed a sigh and put his EMR away with trembling hands.  He’d had visions of a red bloom spreading over his lover’s navy blue suit when the encounter happened and it had scared him so bad, there was no doubt he’d fallen harder for Rufus than he thought he had.

 

            _~I never thought I’d be the kind of guy that would take a bullet for someone, either.  Shit, my legs feel like rubber!~_

 

            “Sir,” Reno said as he tried to work moisture back into his mouth, “Did he really do that to your Ma?”

 

            Rufus was staring at the office door, his hands clenched in his lap while Tseng rubbed his shoulders.  “I’ve never had solid enough proof, but I’m almost certain of it,” he said tonelessly.  “Rude, you can put the gun away now.”

 

            The bald man was still standing like a statue with his gun pointed at the spot where the President had been.  He shook himself out of it and cleared his throat, slipping the weapon back into his jacket.  A drop of sweat rolled down his forehead and Reno was strangely comforted with the knowledge that his partner was just as shaken as he had been by the incident. 

 

            “I think perhaps a relaxing night in would be helpful, for all of us,” Tseng suggested. 

 

            Rufus nodded mechanically.  “I agree.  Let’s just go straight to my apartment when we leave here tonight.  This incident doesn’t get repeated outside of our circle, is that clear to all of you?”  He looked straight at Reno as he said it and the redhead spread his hands innocently.

 

            “Got it, boss.  My lips are sealed.”

 

            “Not too tightly, I hope,” Rufus said, with a faint smile, his tension fading a bit.

 

~***********************************~

 

            “Yo, this is one sweet pad,” Reno whistled as they walked through the door and Rufus turned on the lights.  The lounge area was huge, with a sunken den area with expensive leather furniture, a widescreen television set into the wall and cherry wood end tables.  By the large-paned windows there was a full bar and a stereo system and against the eastern wall was a grand piano and a heavy bookshelf. 

           

            Rufus seemed pleased with the compliment and he turned on the stereo system and found a mixed station for them to listen to.  “Make yourselves comfortable and help yourselves to the bar.”  With that said, he went to the long lounge in the center of the room and plopped down on it in a way that showed he was much more exhausted than he’d let on before.  It had been a grueling twenty-four hours though—and Rufus wasn’t made of stone, contrary to popular belief.

 

            Moments later, they all had their favorite mixed drinks and they were seated in the den and sipping quietly at their beverages.  Rufus still had a glint of ice in his eyes as he stared at nothing and relaxed beside Tseng.  The Wutaian looked more emotionally drained than Reno had ever seen him.  Reno almost contemplated coming up something to get their minds off of the chaos, but all he could think of were drinking games and he’d had quite enough of that the last time.

           

~*******************************~

 

            A couple of hours and a few drinks later, Rufus finally opened up a little more to his Turks.  “I wish the old man would just die,” he said abruptly, swirling the ice cubes around in his glass.  His tone was dry and he seemed more relaxed.  The tension lifted in the room with his statement—not because he’d said he wanted his father to die but because he’d come out of his lethargy and he was being sociable.

 

            Tseng and Rude stayed respectfully silent, intending to let their superior vent if he needed.  Reno, however, had a mild buzz and his mouth wasn’t fully connected to his brain anymore.  “Well he’s old, he’s out of shape and you know his heart can’t be that good.  We could always rent a hooker to bang him ‘till he keels over.”

 

            Tseng unexpectedly pinched the redhead firmly on the arm, making him yelp and sobering him up a little.  “Yo, what was that for?!”  Reno rubbed the smarting spot and stared at his superior with sincere confusion.

 

             “President Shinra is our primary employer,” Tseng reminded him firmly, “we don’t make crude jokes about killing him with prostitutes, regardless of our feelings toward him.  While he gives the orders, you’ll give him proper respect.”

 

            Reno puzzled over this and glanced at Rufus, who was finally smiling a little.  “He doesn’t look like he minds.”  He nodded toward Rufus.

 

            “As the President’s son, he’s entitled to badmouth him,” Tseng shrugged.

 

            Reno huffed a sigh at Tseng.  “You’re way too stiff sometimes.”

 

            “More insubordination and disrespectful talk?” Tseng questioned, raising an elegant black brow.  Reno was starting to catch on that Tseng was playing some sort of weird cat and mouse game with him.  The dark, velvety eyes were calm and the expression on the handsome face was neutral, but something in his tone was subtly teasing.

 

            “Hey boss, are you flirting with me?” Reno asked the Wutaian bluntly.

 

            Rude was drinking his beverage quietly beside Rufus and Reno could tell he was trying to figure out what was going on, too.  The Vice President watched with interest, meeting Tseng’s eyes with a knowing curve to his lips.

 

            “You find it flirtatious for one to correct bad behavior, Kitsune?”  Tseng pinched him again and made him nearly jump off of the couch they shared.

 

            “Ack!  Cut it out!” Reno cried, though in truth he was intrigued.  In his own subtle, unique way, Tseng was trying to make their troubles into a mild game and unless the redhead was mistaken, he was interested in pursuing something more intimate than their current arrangement. He grinned at hearing Tseng call him the Wutaian word for “Fox”.

 

            “When you behave,” Tseng insisted, and he finally smiled at him.

 

            “Can’t,” Reno shot back.  The Wutaian started reaching for him and he agilely dove off the couch.  “Sorry boss, this ‘kitsune’s too fast for ya.” 

 

            “You clearly suffer delusions of grandeur,” Tseng responded.  He looked at Rufus and the VP nodded ever so slightly.  The black-haired Turk’s eyes met Reno’s and his intent was very clear.

 

            “Oh, sh—”  Reno didn’t even bother finishing the swear word as Tseng vaulted off the couch.  The redhead made tracks for one of the hallways and Tseng was close at his heels.

 

            “Maybe running in the boss’s place isn’t such a good idea,” Rude called after his partner with a faint wince as he heard the stomping footsteps in the hallway.

 

            Reno’s voice floated back with a note of alarm and there was the sound of flailing limbs.  Rude sank into the couch, imagining all of the expensive, fragile things his partner and Tseng could easily break in their impromptu wrestling match.  There was a little yelp from Reno that suggested Tseng was either pinching him again or tickling him.

 

            “Yo, that’s gonna leave a bruise!” Reno protested.

 

            Rude cleared his throat and looked sidelong at Rufus, who had crossed his left ankle casually over his right knee and was listening to the ruckus with interest.  “Sir, do you want me to put a stop to this?”  The bald Turk offered.

 

            “That won’t be necessary, but thank you,” Rufus assured him.  He called out; “If you break it, you buy it.”

 

            The sounds of struggling eased a bit and the VP smirked at Rude.  “I’m sure Tseng can keep him in line,” he said.

 

~****************************************~

 

 

            “Okay…I give,” Reno panted.  “Come on…this ain’t…cool, Tseng!”

 

            “What did you call me, Reno?” Tseng inquired, goosing him lightly in the sides.

 

            “Sir,” Reno groaned.

 

            “Much better,” purred the black-haired Turk.

 

            Tseng pulled off his jacket the rest of the way to free his trapped arms and he rolled the panting redhead over before helping him to sit up against the wall.  Reno banged his head against the wall and the Wutaian winced and reached out to rub the spot.

 

            “That was careless,” Tseng said with a soft, sympathetic smile.

 

             Reno winced lightly but he was grinning mischievously at the older Turk.  “You’re a little strange…Sir.”

 

            “Aren’t we all?” Inquired Tseng lightly. 

 

            Reno thought about the things he and his associates got up to—things that most normal people would never dream of.  He thought about his open relationships with Rufus and Rude and he thought about the things he’d done before he ever even joined the Turks. 

 

            “Yeah, I guess I don’t have room to talk and let’s face it, the life of a Turk is anything but normal.”  He closed his eyes as the pain faded from the back of his head.  Tseng’s fingers felt good on his scalp and he looked at the other man with heavy-lidded eyes and mumbled his appreciation.  Tseng leaned closer to him and Reno was suddenly hit with a surprise attack of uncertainty and shyness.  The Wutaian was so mysterious and while Rufus and Rude were difficult to read, Tseng had a way of misdirecting and tricking people into thinking he was doing one thing when he was actually doing another.

 

            _~Normally, this is where I’d be trying to kiss a guy or make him kiss me,~ Reno thought as he watched Tseng draw nearer.  ~He’s got that look on his face.  Problem is I might be confusing friendly play and affection for something else, with him.  I’m never fucking sure what he wants!~_

 

            He decided to wait, rather than risk the humiliation of rejection.  Tseng’s dark eyes stayed locked with his and his fingers steadily massaged his scalp as his mouth drew closer and closer.  Reno didn’t part his lips until their breath was intermingling and he didn’t make a move to draw him closer.  Tseng’s mouth pressed against his softly and the redhead’s pulse quickened.  He finally reached out and cupped the back of Tseng’s head as the other man’s lips moved against his gently.  It was slow, tender and just as enthralling as the more aggressive kisses Reno was used to.

 

            Tseng pulled Reno onto his lap and deepened the kiss, keeping the motions of his mouth patient and gentle.  The redhead made a sound that caused his blood to burn and Tseng reminded himself forcefully that there were still boundaries that had to be maintained.  When Reno’s hands tried to get a bit too familiar with his body, Tseng gently disengaged them and shook his head.

 

            Reno broke the kiss and looked at him in confusion, breathing heavily with passion.  “What’s wrong?” he asked, figuring the two of them had known one another for long enough that they shouldn’t have to play courting games.

 

            “You aren’t for me, just yet,” Tseng murmured, kissing him lightly.

 

            “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Reno sighed with frustration.  “Don’t tell me I’ve got to pass some kind of test.”

 

            “No, you merely have to reach your twentieth birthday.”  Tseng stroked his companion’s vivid red hair and silently asked with his eyes for him to understand.

 

            “I don’t get it,” Reno said with a frown.  “I’m a legal adult, so what’s…oh, wait…that’s some sort of Wutaian thing, ain’t it?  Eighteen isn’t the magic number for you, twenty is.  Am I right?”

 

            Tseng nodded and caressed the redhead’s lips with his fingertips.  “Yes.  Or at least, that’s the case for my spiritual beliefs.  I hope you understand, Reno.”

 

            Reno sighed and blew some stray wisps of hair out of his eyes.  “Man, that’s rough.”

 

            “Isn’t this enough, for now?” Tseng murmured as he brought his lips to Reno’s throat and nuzzled the sensitive skin.

 

            Reno tilted his head back and resisted a moan.  “Yeah, I guess it’ll have to be,” he agreed.  He’d waited for Rufus, he’d waited for Rude…now that he knew Tseng wanted him too he could wait for him.  “A few months won’t kill me,” he said as he lowered his head again and stroked the Director’s hair.  

 

            Tseng tilted his head back and they kissed again.  Reno behaved for a little while but the gentle thrust of the other man’s tongue got him hot before long and he unconsciously began to shift against him, letting the friction of their clothes do what their hands were apparently forbidden to.  Tseng embraced him more tightly and the kiss became more intense—which provoked Reno’s hands to start getting busy again as if they had a mind of their own.

 

            “Does someone need another pinch as a reminder?” Tseng murmured against the redhead’s mouth.

 

            Reno groaned and held his hands up as if at gunpoint.  Tseng smiled and continued kissing him.

 

~*********************************~

 

            Some time later, Reno and Tseng stopped making out—not because they really wanted to but because it was getting to the point where they were both growing too excited by it.  They straightened their clothes and returned to the lounge, expecting to get some knowing looks from Rude and Rufus.  Reno was in front of Tseng as they exited the wide hallway and Tseng nearly ran into him from behind when he stopped in his tracks.  Before the Wutaian could ask what the matter was, Reno whirled around and clamped a hand over his mouth.

 

            “Shhh,” the redhead hissed softly, putting a finger to his lips.  His eyes were wide and frankly ecstatic as he jerked his chin in the direction of the hallway opening. 

 

            Curious but already suspecting what had gotten his companion so bouncy, Tseng peered around Reno’s shoulder and looked into the lounge room.  Rufus and Rude were kissing, of course.  Reno grabbed Tseng’s arm and shook it for emphasis.

 

            “Check that out!  I knew it!”  He whispered.  “Damn, I’m good!”

 

            Tseng smirked with amusement at the redhead’s excitement.  “I suppose you are,” he whispered back.  The Wutaian quietly observed his lover and Reno’s partner, further amused by the faint awkwardness he detected in the kiss.  Tseng had experience with both roles, so his first real kiss with Reno had come more naturally than what he was witnessing on the couch.  Two semes trying to dominate each other’s mouths and figure out where to put their hands was a somewhat comedic situation.  For a while it seemed to be a stalemate but neither Rufus nor Rude appeared dissuaded from exploring their interest in each other.  Finally, it appeared that Rude won the battle and Tseng’s eyebrows went up with surprise.

 

            Reno noticed it too and he saw the look of faint surprise on Tseng’s face.  He pulled the Wutaian’s head down to whisper in his ear; “Trying to wrestle Rude’s tongue would be like trying to arm-wrestle with him.  Trust me.”

 

            “So I see,” Tseng huffed a soft laugh, unused to seeing Rufus kissing that way.  “Perhaps you and I should retire to the spare bedroom and leave them be.”

 

            As much as Reno loved the thought of more kisses and cuddles from Tseng, he was torn.  He loved the thought of watching his two current lovers get it on just as much.  “Just a minute,” he insisted as he watched one of Rude’s big hands slide over Rufus’s shoulder and down his chest.

 

            _~I’m salivating, here.  This shit is hot!  That’s it baby…grab his package.  Oops…his hand got in the way.  That’s all right…nice and easy.  NO, don’t try to push him onto his back!  Damn, now it’s awkward again.~_

 

            “Reno,” Tseng whispered again, grinning softly at the way Rude and Rufus were starting to basically wrestle with each other, “We really should give them privacy.  They’re trying something that’s new and rather intimidating to both of them.”

 

            “And they suck at it,” Reno shot back with a smirk.  “We’re gonna have to teach them.”

 

            Tseng stared at him, feeling his blood stir at the thought.  “Not tonight,” he said firmly.

 

            “Someone’s going to wind up hurt,” Reno warned, glancing at the two men that were doing their best to overpower each other.  Rufus was holding up surprisingly well even though he’d lost the tongue battle.  “I mean, look at that!  Don’t tell me you don’t see something wrong with the way Rufus is pawing like an ape trying to put the butt-hurt on a rival—and Rude is practically choking him trying to hold him down!”

 

            “I’m sure they’ll settle down on their own,” Tseng insisted even as he coughed a laugh.  He had to admit it was odd to see a man he knew very well to be an excellent lover using such clumsy, rough tactics.  It wasn’t their business, however.  He tried to reach out and physically draw Reno away, but the other man had seen enough and started forward.  “Reno,” Tseng hissed, “get back here!”

 

            Reno boldly walked into the room and over to the couch, crossing his arms over his chest and shaking his head sadly at his embattled lovers.  Rufus noticed him first because he was on his back.

 

            “Yo, you’re doing it all wrong,” Reno announced.

 

            Still half-hidden in the hallway entry, Tseng groaned and dropped his head in his hands.

 

            _~As if there haven’t been enough catastrophes in our lives.~_

 

~**********************************~

 

-To be continued                       

           


	12. Chapter 12

“Thanks for the Memories”

A Reno fanfiction

Chapter 12: “Kiss and Tell”

~*******************************************~

*Disclaimer:  The world that this story is set in and all characters therein belong to Square-Enix.  This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can’t get enough of this world and the characters.* 

~***********************************************~

 

            _If you’re hoping to hear about an orgy, I’m sorry to disappoint you.  That’s what Tseng thought I was pushing for—I could tell by the look on his face before I came out of the hallway.  Rude looked embarrassed and Rufus just looked annoyed.  I realized I was pushing my luck but both of ‘em needed some lessons on how to bend a little and I was afraid that if I left it alone they’d either get too rough or give up._

~**********************************~

 

            “Don’t look at me like that,” Reno said as his two lovers disengaged, righted themselves and stared at him.  “You can’t get a charge if you don’t hook up the polarities right, man.”

 

            “We weren’t trying to charge a battery,” Rufus countered with a frown.

 

            Reno boldly sat down in between the two men.  “Same principle, boss.  Think about it—you might cause some hot sparks but the juice isn’t gonna flow right if you cross the lines.  Or hey, what happens if you try to push a couple of magnets together on the same polarity?”

 

            “Resistance,” Rude sighed, getting his point.  The bald man even smiled a little at his partner’s clever metaphors but he was distinctly uncomfortable with the thought of continuing in front of an audience—even if that audience was his partner. 

 

            Rufus’s irritation faded, to be replaced with wry amusement.  Reno was, after all, a mechanic.  “So you’re looking at Rude and I as a pair of engines?” he murmured.

 

            Reno shrugged.  “Not literally but like I said, some rules are pretty much universal.  If I saw someone mishandling a pair of top gear engines I’d have the same reaction, yo.  I can’t stand seeing something so fine treated all wrong.”

 

            Rufus considered him with dawning realization.  “I’m beginning to understand why you’re such a quick study, Fox.”

 

            _~I really should have made the connection sooner.  His brilliance is the primary reason that Tseng and I agreed he should be second in command of the Turks.  I’ve been thinking of his knack for sensual skills as merely a gift of instincts, but it’s his sense of logic that makes him so adept.~_

            While Rufus pondered, Rude looked wary.  “I see what you’re saying man but I’m not very comfortable with what you’re hinting at.”

 

            “You think I want you two to screw right now?” Reno smiled and shook his head.  “Nah, you ain’t ready for that.  First you’ve got to fine-tune a little and get used to the feel of each other.”

 

            “You’re suggesting an experiment, then?” Rufus inquired with an intrigued look.  He wasn’t ready to give up on taking things to another level with Rude just yet, despite the awkward attempt they’d just made.  Rufus did like things his own way but he wasn’t above trying new things if he thought something good could come of it.

 

            “More like a few lessons,” answered the redhead.  Seeing the way Rude shook his head, he sighed.  “Don’t be that way, partner.  Damn, I never knew you could blush like that!  Hey, tell you what…just think of it as a mechanics lesson.  You’ve got nothing to be embarrassed about, man.”  He refrained from calling the big guy “baby” because he sensed it would come off as patronizing to him right now.

 

  1. You have my attention.”



 

            Reno grinned up at the Director.  To Rude, he said; “Scoot over a little so we can make room for Tseng.”

 

            Rude looked like he was ready to bail and Reno didn’t give him the chance.  Before he could get up, Reno threw a leg over his thighs and smoothly straddled him, grinning as the bald man instinctively cupped his hips.  “Class ain’t dismissed yet, partner,” the redhead murmured. 

 

            “Red, I can’t do this,” Rude whispered into his ear.  “It was a dumb idea to try anyhow.”

 

            “Bullshit,” Reno countered softly as Tseng took a seat between the two of them and Rufus.  “You wouldn’t have been kissing him in the first place if you didn’t want it.  All we’re going to do is teach you guys how to loosen up and work together instead of fighting each other, yo.  Otherwise you’ll end up skipping something that could be great because you’re both bullheaded.  Come on, Rude.  Just give it a chance.”

 

            Rude sighed as the redhead’s ginger-lashed, sea-green eyes urged him to comply.  He knew Reno wanted an open relationship to work between all of them and while he was interested in trying, he was regretting starting out with Rufus.  The VP was slighter in build than he was but he was just as aggressive and he hadn’t relented when they were fooling around.  Tseng would have been easier to start with, but he wasn’t sure how Rufus would take to someone hitting on the man he’d been in a relationship with for over a year. Reno kissed him and his reluctance weakened further. 

 

             “Hmm?” Reno purred against his lips questioningly, coaxing a reply.

 

            Rude glanced sidelong at Tseng and Rufus.  The two of them were already kissing and the blonde didn’t seem troubled by Reno’s proposal or particularly reluctant.  Since both of their bosses weren’t objecting, the bald man decided to try and swallow his reservations and at least give Reno a chance to demonstrate what was on his mind.  He nodded silently in consent and let his hands slide up around the redhead’s waist.

 

            Tseng murmured softly to his lover in approval as Rufus cooperated with him and parted his lips.  It wasn’t as though the man never allowed his partners’ tongues to explore his mouth, he just never allowed it for very long and he generally tackled the probing tongue with his own so that he still had the upper hand.  When he tried to do that this time, Tseng broke the kiss and shook his head.

 

            “What?” Rufus asked with a frown.

 

            Tseng was mildly amused.  _~He’s so attuned to being the alpha male that he isn’t even aware he was fighting me.~_ Aloud, he murmured; “Relax your tongue, koibito.  The purpose of this is to practice the art of receiving, not giving.  Let’s try again, shall we?”

 

            Next to them, Reno was having similar problems with his partner pushing his tongue out of his mouth and thrusting his own into the redhead’s.  Reno wasn’t as diplomatic about it as Tseng was, however.  Rude blurted a soft exclamation of surprise as the redhead popped him lightly on the side of his jaw and pulled back to snap: “Nuh-uh.  Your jaw’s too tense and you’re wrestling with me.  You’ve gotta be more inviting, ya know?”

 

            Rude stared at him mutely and the redhead bent his head to kiss him again.  Rude warily began to return the kiss, his tension making it hard for him to follow Reno’s instructions and relax.  The second time his partner popped him, Rude muttered: “Can we trade partners?”

 

            Rufus made an odd grunting sound just before Tseng broke the kiss to regard the bald Turk.  Rude was half-joking when he suggested switching “teachers” with the VP but Tseng looked first at Rufus, then at Reno and then he said: “I don’t mind.  Some variation in techniques may benefit them both.”

 

            Reno grinned and shrugged.  “Fine by me.  You okay with that, boss?” 

 

            Rufus rubbed his side covertly and nodded.  “Feel free.”

 

            _~If Rude thinks he’ll receive fairer treatment at Tseng’s hands, he’s sadly mistaken.  Reno is simply more obvious with his punishing little reminders.~_

            Rufus said none of his thoughts aloud though, amused by the thought of the dark-skinned man’s reaction when he discovered that Tseng had his own unpleasant correctional tactics.  In truth, the blonde was enjoying this odd encounter.  It would give Tseng and Rude a chance to familiarize themselves with one another as more than boss and subordinate.  As much as he hated to admit that he wasn’t an expert lover, this idea of Reno’s would help him improve and give him a greater chance of satisfying his curiosity about Rude. 

 

            Reno maneuvered himself off of his partner’s lap and got up, while Tseng scooted away from Rufus and pressed close to Rude.  The VP held his arms open with a crooked smile as Reno climbed onto him and straddled him.  It was obvious by now that the position was a favorite of the redhead’s…possibly because it allowed him to maintain a uke role without giving away all of the control to his partner.

 

            “You gonna behave, boss?” Reno asked with a grin as he settled comfortably onto his lap and put his hands on his shoulders.

 

            “Why Reno,” quipped the blonde with a smug curve to his lips, “you know I’m always well behaved.”

 

            Reno snorted.  “Hmph.  We’ll see.”  He threaded his fingers into the VP’s hair and lowered his mouth to his.  At first, he started out with his customary teasing way—tracing the other man’s lips with the tip of his tongue and stroking the crease between them. 

 

Rufus put his arms around him and responded to the coaxing action, parting his lips agreeably.  By habit, he began to try and probe Reno’s mouth with his tongue and one of the redhead’s hands left his hair and hovered warningly over his right cheek.  The blonde quickly halted his assertive move and instead relaxed his jaw and parted his lips wider, allowing Reno’s tongue access to his mouth.  The redhead probed sensually and Rufus was dumbstruck.  He’d again underestimated his Fox and assumed he couldn’t be as good at dominating someone’s mouth as he was at submitting to it. 

 

His momentary stillness almost cost him.  The hand that had just begun to relax near the side of his face tensed up again and Rufus made himself respond to the kiss with as little aggression as he could muster.  Evidently it was a little too submissive, because he felt a sudden, sharp little sting as Reno’s hand popped him on the cheek. 

 

“You don’t have to go as limp as a wet noodle,” Reno explained softly against the blonde’s parted lips.  “That makes it feel like you’re just putting up with it or like your mind is somewhere else.  If I just sat there with my mouth open the first time you kissed me, would you have wanted to fuck me?”

 

Rufus flushed with embarrassment and his lips drew together with frustration.  Reno didn’t pull any punches with his criticism and it bruised the VP’s ego somewhat.  Reno smiled at him and nibbled the tight lips, making them relax.  “Hey, don’t take it personal, baby.  When it comes to your delivery you’re a fucking beast and you know you make me moan every time.  It’s just your retrieval we’ve gotta work on.”

 

Rufus’s cooling passion flared up again at the hot compliment to his skills as a dominant kisser and his wounded pride was salved.  “I suppose you’re fantastic at all of it, then?” he asked dryly.

 

Reno surprised him by shaking his head without hesitation.  “Hell no, boss.  I’m good with my mouth and riding cock but I’ve got no instincts for trying to top anyone.  If you think you suck at kissing like a uke, I could show you a real disaster and try to fuck like a seme.”

 

Rufus laughed softly in response to Reno’s not-quite-humble honesty.  In truth, Reno practically ‘fucked like a seme’ already.  Rufus had little doubt that if the redhead was so inclined to try, he could learn to top a companion as skillfully as he bottomed now.  The only thing getting in his way was his obvious preference for taking his partners inside of his body.  Rufus declined to say so out loud, however, because he really didn’t want to give the adventurous redhead further ideas to play with.  He had his hands full with him as it was.

 

Meanwhile, Rude was falling into the strange new role of submitting a little more easily than he had with Reno.  Tseng’s kisses were firm but gentle and the fact that he was his superior kept Rude from acting so readily on his instinctive urges to dominate the kiss.  When the Wutaian murmured approvingly into the kiss, Rude got bolder and tried to overpower his caressing tongue with his.  His efforts were rewarded with a sharp little poke in the ribs that made him jerk and catch his breath.  

 

Tseng paused in his kissing and whispered, “You aren’t to do that until I’m satisfied with your ability to receive, Rude.”

 

The bald Turk swallowed and nodded.  “Sir,” he conceded breathlessly.  He’d already come too far to get out of it and as much as he hated being slapped and poked by his fellow Turks, he was at a point now where he was losing his inhibitions and he really wanted to continue.

 

It went on with both couples for several more minutes, with Rufus getting one more smack from Reno and Rude getting a couple more jabs from Tseng before both semes were kissing their companions back rather than trying to take over the kiss.  Reno’s approval of his lover’s progress was obvious by the way the redhead began to unconsciously murmur those unique, sweet little moans of his.  It was odd how he could sound so submissive while being in a dominating role, but that was part of what made him so irresistible to others.  When things between he and Rufus heated up to the point where Reno was rocking against the other man, he decided it was time to move on to the next step.

 

“Okay, that’s good,” Reno gasped as he broke the kiss and looked at his boss with heated eyes.  “And I mean real good, baby.  Now let’s see how good you are at swapping.”

 

Rufus looked all too ready to take on the dominant role again and Reno stopped him before he could grab his hair and force him into another kiss.  “Hold it,” the redhead warned.  “I don’t just mean going back to the usual thing, baby.  I mean a little of both.” 

 

He looked at Rude and Tseng and to his surprise, it looked like the two of them were already practicing that part.  The way the angle of their heads shifted every few seconds and the way their lips pressed against one another told him that Rude was better at switching between aggression and pacifism than he was at just being passive.  His groin throbbed at the sexy display and he groaned softly, wishing he could get some action tonight but knowing this wasn’t about his needs.  The way Rufus had begun nuzzling his neck wasn’t helping him control his state of arousal, either.

 

“I need you to stop that, boss,” Reno sighed with regret, curling his fingers into Rufus’ hair and tugging gently to ease his mouth off of his throat.  “I really want to set you and Rude up and if you keep doing that, I’m gonna go crazy and ride you right here on the couch.”

 

“Quite the authority figure when you want to be,” Rufus murmured with a smirk.

 

“Damn straight,” Reno agreed, loosening his hold on his lover’s pale blond hair and combing his fingers through it.  “Let’s see what you’ve got…Rufus.”  It was rare for him to call the man by his given name, being his subordinate.  The way he said it indicated that he meant business.

 

Rufus was accustomed to Reno becoming authoritative when he was determined to get something, but the use of his given name spoken that way boggled him enough that he didn’t move when the redhead’s lips descended to his again.  This time, the Turk started out aggressively.  He didn’t use his usual coaxing method but slipped his tongue into Rufus’s mouth immediately.  The VP ignored his first impulse to fence with it and caressed it instead.

 

Reno pulled his left hand out of the VP’s hair and trailed it down his shoulder to his chest, impressed and aroused by the way Rufus welcomed his tongue’s exploration.  He stroked the blonde’s tongue with his own for a few moments, then slowly withdrew it from his mouth and flicked it meaningfully against Rufus’s as he did so.  Rufus caught on and took the silent invitation, pushing his tongue into Reno’s waiting mouth.  The redhead sucked gently on it and made one of those breathless “please fuck me” sounds in his throat.  Rufus’s kiss grew more aggressive and Reno whimpered and allowed him to plunder his mouth for a few moments before claiming assertiveness again. 

 

They went back and forth; trading kissing roles until both men were breathing heavily and letting their hands wander.  Rufus reached between the thighs straddling his lap and began to rub his lover’s hardened package.  Reno moaned softly and forgot himself for a couple of moments, but when he opened his eyes briefly and saw that Tseng and Rude had stopped and were catching their breath, he mumbled a soft curse and reached down to disengage his companion’s hand from his crotch. 

 

“You’re good to go, baby,” Reno panted softly as he broke the kiss and struggled to pull his boss’s hand away. 

 

Rufus came back to himself and remembered where he was and the purpose behind all of this making out.  He reluctantly stopped fondling his Turk and took a deep breath.  Reno dismounted from his lap and stood up with a grin, straightening his clothes while he looked down at him.

 

“Okay, NOW you two can get back to what you were doing,” said Reno with a wink.  He nodded toward Tseng and kept his eyes on Rufus.  “Mind if he and I crash in one of your spare rooms, boss?”

 

Rufus was tongue-tied in more than one way, but he was far too dignified to let on to that fact.  He nodded elegantly and watched as Tseng got off of the couch and walked with Reno to the hallway leading to the guest bedroom.  The leader of the Turks put his arm around Reno’s waist with easy familiarity.  It never ceased to amaze him how smoothly Tseng could fall into a new relationship, or how unpredictable Reno’s personality was.

 

He and Rude were soon alone again on the couch.  Rude looked a bit flustered but he gazed at the VP with quiet interest, his respect for him keeping him from making a move without some sort of signal.  Rufus reached for his half-empty glass on the glass-top coffee table and downed it, then sidled closer to the bald Turk.

 

“Well, where were we?” the blonde said.

 

~***************************************~

 

            _Tseng took me to the guest bedroom after that, but I wasn’t ready to call it a night, just yet.  He undressed to his boxers and I got stuck in a moment of “Yo, I want to jump that” before I remembered I had two seme hotties I’d left alone in the main room.  I had my jacket off and Tseng was already in the bed with the covers up before I decided I just had to go and take a peek._

~*******************************~

 

            “Are you coming?” Tseng asked with a slight frown as his younger companion paused with a thoughtful expression.

 

            Reno looked at him and debated.

 

            _~Hot, exotic black-haired guy I can have all to myself for the night, or a few minutes of checking out two hot lovers getting it on—followed by having the hot, exotic black-haired guy?  Hmmm…easy decision.~_

            “I’ll be right back,” Reno promised as he started back toward the door.

 

            “Reno,” Tseng said in a soft, warning tone.  He’d sat up in the bed and propped his back against the headboard.

 

            “What?” he replied, looking over his shoulder with a grin.

 

            “Don’t interrupt them again.  You’re worse than a new mother with this obsessive need you have to check up on them.”  Tseng was smiling softly but his dark eyes were serious.

 

            Reno clicked his tongue.  “Yo, I’m not gonna interrupt anything.  I just want to see how it’s going with those two before I come to bed.  I promise, I’ll be good.”

 

            “I’m sure they can carry on however they like without you watching over them,” Tseng argued with a soft chuckle.  “Or are you simply so determined that they get together, you can’t relax until you see it?”

 

            Reno’s eyebrows shot up.  “Wow, that’s good, boss.”  He felt a flush of sudden embarrassment color his cheeks and he averted his eyes and tried to downplay what he’d just revealed in his surprise.  “Uh, you know.  I just…you’re all my…ahem.”

 

            Tseng tilted his head and studied the younger Turk with a look of patient understanding.  “I know, Kitsune.  Very well, if you need closure to rest, go and satisfy your curiosity.  Just please, don’t disrupt anything and don’t overstay yourself.”

 

            Reno’s hesitation faded and he smirked.  “Scout’s honor.  I’ll just make sure they aren’t mauling each other and I’ll come right back.  I’ll even give you the tasty details.”

 

~**************************************~

 

            _I still don’t know how the hell Tseng does that.  It’s like he looks right through your skin and into your heart or something.  He was right on the money though—I’d seen for myself that he and Rude could get hot together but I needed to find out if Rude and Rufus could fit.  It would just be so much easier for all of us to be together without any jealousy or competition, get it?_

_So anyway, I snuck down the hall as quiet as a mouse and crept up on the entrance to the lounge area.  I listened for a minute before peeking in and I heard sounds that made me grin.  You know that sound people make when they’re really getting some mouth action in and enjoying it?  Yeah, that’s what I was hearing.  I stretched out and stuck my head around the corner for a visual and damned if I didn’t see our boss lying on the couch on his back, with Rude stretched out over him and the two of them lip-locked so tight they could suffocate._

_The best part was that Rufus’s shirt was hanging wide open and Rude’s fly was undone.  Man, I had to put my hand over my mouth because I wanted to shout: “Go for it!”_

_Of course, I didn’t do that.  Wanted to, but didn’t.  I watched them make out for a while and wished I was in there with ‘em, but I kept my promise to Tseng and crawled backwards the way I came from.  I told him what I saw when I got back in the room and he looked pretty happy about it even though he lectured me for spying for so long._

_I got a little worried when I started taking off the rest of my clothes for bed because you know, I hardly ever wear anything under my pants.  Tseng told me not to worry about it and promised he could control himself if I slept starkers, even though I wouldn’t have minded a bit if he broke that promise.  The way he looked at me when I stripped down made me feel good, but the man’s fucking stubborn about keeping to his spiritual traditions and all he did once I got in bed was kiss me for a while and rub my back.  The back rub felt good though, so I didn’t complain and before I knew it, I fell asleep._

_The next day I woke up alone, so I put my pants on and went into the lounge room.  Tseng was there, standing over by the couch in the den pit.  Rude and Rufus were sprawled out on the couch, man.  Rude was on his back and our boss was lying on top of him, pretty as you please.  They had all their clothes on even though some parts were hanging open, so I knew they just messed around.  I was fine with that because I knew it would take more than one night for them to work out who did what._

_Tseng told me to be quiet and he motioned me to follow him into the kitchen to help make breakfast.  I burned the fucking eggs, of course.  Rude and Rufus didn’t mind when they woke up and joined us.  They both looked sort of relieved, like they’d finally let something go that they’d been holding onto for a while.  None of us really said anything out loud about it.  That’s how it was with us…we just took things as they came and we trusted each other.  On the clock, Rude and I were the grunts but off the clock and underneath everything else, the four of us were our own private little family, yo._

~*************************************~

 

-To be continued


	13. Chapter 13

“Thanks for the Memories”

A Reno fanfiction

Chapter 13: “Curiosity (almost) killed the fox”

~*******************************************~

*Disclaimer:  The world that this story is set in and all characters therein belong to Square-Enix.  This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can’t get enough of this world and the characters.* 

~***********************************************~

 

            _It took a while, but after a while Rufus and Rude got more comfortable with each other and the three of us started messing around together sometimes, instead of separately.  They never fucked each other but they took turns on me a lot and they weren’t shy about giving each other oral.  I think they were both still too proud to bottom and there was no telling when one of ‘em would cave and take the hit.  I was too happy to push them to do more.  Tseng and Rude slept together after a while and I was fine with that.  I just hated having to wait for my twentieth birthday to be with Tseng and I always felt a little bad when I had my threesomes with Rufus and Rude, because I felt like Tseng was being left out.  He was a lot more patient than I was, though._

_I guess the average vanilla person would think our relationship was pretty fucked up.  Society pushes monogamy and hetero relationships, so by those rules the four of us were guilty of committing two “crimes” against “decency”.  Know what?  Society can blow me, yo.  I’m not stingy with my affection and I don’t care if that makes me look like a man whore or not._

_After taking a few weeks off, Tseng took up leadership if the Turks again and I was kind of relieved.  I wasn’t really ready for the responsibility.  Months passed and we never found Genesis or Hollander.  Hojo took what was left of Jenova out of the reactor and had it moved to ShinRa HQ.  That creeped me out.  I didn’t like working in the building knowing that thing was in there with me.  It drove Sephiroth insane—at least that’s what I thought at the time—and it made me uneasy to be anywhere near it.  My birthday came around but I didn’t get to celebrate it right away.  The President sent me and Rude to check up on the progress of the rebuilt Nibelheim and make sure Hojo’s “cloning” experiment was still under control like his people there reported._

_I wasn’t looking forward to the mission.  Everything about that place made my skin crawl—not just because of what happened there almost a year before.  We were supposed to stay out of the ShinRa mansion, which only made the temptation to sneak in there and look around harder to resist._

~********************************~

 

            After they touched down in the helicopter, Rude and Reno walked into town.  The buildings looked exactly the same as they had before the disaster.  ShinRa had worked fast to rebuild it and quell any chance that the world outside would hear of the disaster.  Reno felt the hair rise on the back of his neck as they approached.

 

            “Hey partner, do you believe the reports that said there weren’t any survivors?” Reno asked before they were within earshot of any “townsfolk”.

 

            Rude looked at him sidelong and straightened his tie uncomfortably.  “I never thought about it.”

 

            Reno’s blue-green eyes studied the buildings and the looming mansion in the distance suspiciously.  “I’m just sayin’, I don’t think it’s likely that _everyone_ got killed.  There’s something about this whole setup that’s always bothered me.  They wanted to keep the incident hushed up, so if there WERE survivors, what do you think they did with ‘em, man?”

 

            Rude’s jaw tensed.  “Keep your mind on the mission, partner.  You’re high ranking now and you should know a Turk’s job is to follow orders.”

 

            Reno frowned at the bald man.  “Yeah, well…sometimes questioning orders makes for some good results.”

 

            Rude stopped and reached out to put his hands on the redhead’s shoulders, turning him to face him.  “Or it can get you killed.  Reno, you got picked for second in command because you can think outside the box.  You can improvise when a mission goes bad, better than anyone else.  That doesn’t mean you should go looking for trouble and that’s what you’re going to find if you don’t let this go.  Come on man, let’s just do our jobs and get the hell out of here.”

 

            Reno stared at him, realizing that this place spooked his partner just as much as it spooked him.  Rude was worrying about him getting in over his head with his curiosity.  “Okay Rude, you win.  I’ll shut up about it and we can just finish up and go.”

 

            Rude nodded and let go of him, his tension faded.

 

~*********************************~

 

            They spoke to the undercover ShinRa employees, asking the questions they’d been told to ask, investigating the buildings inside and out for anything out of the ordinary and getting a water sample from the well in the center of town, to have it analyzed for pollutants or possible Mako taint.

 

            “This is taking longer than I thought it would,” Reno sighed as they paused outside the path leading into the ShinRa mansion.

 

            “Yeah, I’m getting hungry,” complained the bald man.  “I wonder if the food at the Inn’s any good.”

 

            “Why don’t you go grab us a table,” Reno suggested as his own stomach growled in sympathy.  “I’ll finish up checking out the power generator while you’re doing that.”

 

            “Sounds good,” Rude agreed.  “See you in a few.”

 

            Reno watched his partner walk away and he started toward the town’s power generator.  He meant to just do his job and go, he really did.  The mansion caught his eye and he slowly turned to look at it.  The dark windows were like eyes watching him and he shivered involuntarily and ran his fingers through his vivid, fluffed hair.

 

            _~Just don’t think about it, Reno.  There’s nothing but trouble in that place, like Rude said.~_

            Despite his mind’s warnings, his feet began to slowly step toward the broken iron gates that inefficiently blocked the path leading to the huge front doors of the building.  His mind went to the day they got the news and his thoughts turned to Zackary Fair.  Supposedly the black-haired fighter had been mortally wounded and taken into the bowels of the mansion.  What if he was still in there?

 

            Reno had liked Zack well enough, but his reasons for wondering what ever really happened to him was as much provoked by an unhealthy curiosity about the things his organization got up to as it was for the Soldier’s well-being.  Hell, even if Zack wasn’t in there, Reno knew damned well he’d find something interesting if he explored that basement. 

 

            He glanced around casually to see if anyone was nearby.  Seeing that the coast was clear, the redhead walked to the iron gates and squeezed through the gap.  He hurried up the path to the double doors and tried the handles.  They were locked, but Reno shrugged and reached into his blazer for his pocketknife.  He checked again for any witnesses before kneeling in front of the doors and working at the lock with his knife.

 

            “Rude’s gonna kick my ass if he finds out about this,” he muttered to himself as he listened for the sound of the mechanism springing.  “But I can stop worrying about it after this and he’ll never have to hear me mention it again.”  The lock clicked and he put the tool knife back in his pocket.  He stood up, brushed his pants off and pushed the right door open just wide enough to slip through.  It creaked eerily on rusty hinges and he winced and peered around to be sure the sound didn’t attract any passersby.  He went in and shut the door behind him. 

 

The musky air made his nose wrinkle and he looked around at the dim interior of the building and considered his options.  There were several wings he could explore, as well as a second level.  He was looking for the entrance to the basement, so logically he thought he should stick to the ground floor.  He reached for his penlight and clicked it on.  It wasn’t very bright but it helped him see where he was going.  He took a wing on the left side first and checked through all of the rooms, finding nothing of interest.  He did the same with another wing and again had no results.

 

Reno had almost finished investigating the bottom floor when his cell phone rang, startling him so bad he dropped his little flashlight.  He picked it up and pulled his cell out, grimacing when he saw his partner’s name on the ID. 

 

“Yo Rude,” he greeted when he put the phone to his ear.

 

“What’s keeping you, man?” Rude asked.

 

“Sorry, I’m having a little trouble with this generator,” Reno lied.  “It might be a while.  Why don’t you just order something to eat and I’ll get something when I finish?”

 

Rude sighed.  “Okay.  I guess I’ll do that.”

 

“I’ll try to hurry it up,” Reno said. 

 

He turned off the phone and replaced it, scratching his head as he looked around.  _~There’s gotta be a way into the fucking basement somewhere in this place!  Maybe I’m going about this all the wrong way.  When it comes to anything built by ShinRa, nothing’s simple.~_

He was getting frustrated and tired but he was determined to check the second floor before giving up.  He doubted he’d find anything but his stubborn curiosity wouldn’t allow him to call it quits until he ruled out all possibilities.  He got halfway up the stairs when he put his foot through a step.  Swearing and grunting, he pulled his leg free and moved with more caution.  A search on the second floor and through all of the rooms revealed nothing.  He sighed and shook his head, looking around the room he stood in.

 

“Fuck it,” he muttered.  He knew for a fact there was a lab in the basement here but obviously the entrance was so well concealed, only the people working on Hojo’s project knew where it was.  He pulled out his pack of cloves and selected one, then brought it to his lips and lit it.  Reno inhaled the sweet, spicy smoke and leaned against the stone wall, closing his eyes and regretting the amount of time he’d wasted.  He felt the wall shift under his back and he yelped and lurched away from it, spinning around and bringing his EMR to bear.  A panel was sliding open in the wall with a grinding noise.

 

“You’re shitting me,” the redhead rasped, staring with wide eyes as the concealed door grinded to a halt.  He stepped forward cautiously, brandishing his weapon with one hand and his penlight with the other.  Peeking in, he could see a winding, wooden ramp set into the walls of the wide, round shaft behind the entrance.  The ramp spiraled down into cool, black depths and Reno swallowed at the thought of going down there.

 

~I’ve come this far without any real problems.  You’d think if there was some super secret experiment going on in here there’d at least be some guards or something.  Maybe Hojo’s cut his project after all and all I’ll find at the bottom is a dusty, empty lab.  But hey, everyone in this town now works for ShinRa, so maybe they just don’t think they need guards.  Most people wouldn’t be crazy enough to keep going.~

 

But, Reno wasn’t “most people” and he’d been accused before of being crazy—if not reckless.  Mustering his nerve, he put out his cigarette, stepped through the doorway and made his way down the ramp.  It seemed to go on and on; he peered over the side at one point, got dizzy and had to press his back against the wall and stop for a moment.  When the spell passed, he pressed on.  As an afterthought, he pulled his cellphone out and turned it off.  If there WERE guards or scientists working down at the bottom, he’d need stealth and quiet.  It would be just his luck for Rude to call again and get him caught.

 

He finally reached the bottom and he had a look around.  The foot of the ramp was at the end of a long, earthen tunnel reinforced with wooden beams.  There were lit lanterns lining the walls, providing enough light for him to see without his flashlight.  He put it away and started down the tunnel, keeping his ears perked for any sound.  As he covered some distance, he could see a door far at the end of the tunnel, with light spilling out from under the crack.  Very faintly, he could hear people moving around and talking behind it.

 

_~Here’s where it gets risky.  If I go up to it and try to look through the keyhole or listen in, someone could come along and open it and I’ll have to jump behind those storage casks pretty fucking fast to keep hidden.~_

Reno was a risk-taker though, so the possibility of discovery didn’t deter his hunger for information.  He didn’t get far before he noticed another door with a brick wall set into it on the left side of the tunnel.  He stopped and regarded it curiously.  He could see very dim light under the crack but he didn’t hear any sounds from within the mystery room.  Maybe it was a supply room or a file room?  That possibility prompted him to pull out his tool knife and get to work on the lock.  It was harder to open than the front door lock had been, due to rust.  After a few minutes he finally forced the mechanism to release and he pushed the door open and slipped inside, leaving it cracked behind him in case he needed to make a hasty retreat.

 

What he found in the small, cobweb-decked room confused the hell out of him.

 

“A coffin?  What the fuck?”  Reno stared at the black, oblong box with a frown.  It had layers of dust on it, which meant it hadn’t been disturbed for a long time.  He thought he heard a faint shuffle in the tunnel outside but he’d seen bats clinging to the ceiling on his way in, so he assumed it was just one of the animals relocating itself.  He approached the coffin and felt goosebumps rise on his skin.  He hesitated for a moment but told himself he’d seen enough death that the sight of a withered skeleton shouldn’t scare him. 

 

~Besides, this might answer my question about whether Fair really croaked or not.  I might find him in there.~

The thought gave him pause.  Did he really want to see the handsome Soldier’s decomposed, dried up corpse?  He couldn’t turn into a chickenshit now, though.  Anything could be in there and whatever it was might give him some answers.  He grasped the lid of the coffin and groaned softly with effort as he forced it open.  It resisted at first but after he lifted it a couple of inches it gave more. 

 

When it was fully opened, he looked inside and went still with shock.  There was a body in the coffin all right, but it was in unreasonably good condition.  The pale young man lying with his forearms crossed over his chest looked like he was newly dead.  One of his hands wasn’t a hand at all, but a golden, metallic claw.  His tall form was clothed in some sort of leather body armor and a ragged, red cloak.  He had beautiful, Wutaian features and long black hair.  He vaguely reminded Reno of Tseng and the Turk sighed softly.

 

“I don’t know how you managed to stay so pristine,” Reno whispered to the corpse, “but it’s a damn shame something so pretty is dead.  Hmph…wonder what they did to keep you so fresh.  You don’t even smell dead.”

 

Two things happened then.  First, the corpse’s eyes snapped open and focused on the Turk, blazing a hellish red color in the dim lantern light.  Reno’s mouth fell open with startled shock and he went almost as pale as the “dead” man.  The door behind him swung open and he heard a gurgling, disturbing laugh.  Reno turned to look and he found himself staring up at a creature straight out of nightmares.  It was bipedal and humanoid in anatomy, but its fingers were freakishly elongated and it had two heads that were anything but human in appearance.  Both heads had small, glowing eyes, no nose to speak of and lipless mouths with razor-sharp teeth.

 

 

            Reno heard a little girl scream and he was chagrined to realize the sound came from him as the monster reached for him.  He was in such a state of shock that he wasn’t fast enough to dodge away and the monster’s abnormally long fingers closed over his left forearm and yanked.  Pain flared in his shoulder socket as the creature threw him against the wall by the door.  He thought at first that the creature had ripped his arm right out of the socket, but it was still attached and dangling weirdly.

 

            _~Dislocated…fuck…I’ve gotta move!~_

            Both of the monster’s heads gurgled and giggled as it advanced on Reno again.  The Turk slipped out the door, groaning in pain as he charged his EMR and slammed it down on one of his attacker’s hands when the creature gripped the doorframe on its way to follow him.  The monster hissed and paused, giving Reno a chance to try and run.  He didn’t know what in the hell the creature was—he assumed it was one of Hojo’s experiment specimens gotten loose but he wasn’t about to wait around to figure it out.  He was hurt and for all he knew the thing coming after him couldn’t be killed through ordinary means.

 

            He didn’t get three feet before the creature caught hold of one of his ankles and tripped him.  He rolled onto his back and kicked out at the monster, his hard shoes digging into the spongy flesh.  He shouted as the being grabbed him around the waist and threw him against the tunnel wall.  The back of his head hit a support beam and he fought to stay conscious.  His weapon crackled as he charged it again and narrowed his eyes at the nightmare advancing on him and tried to keep his vision from going blurry.  The long limbs were gangly, so he thought that if he could muster enough force and strike in the joints he could cripple it, at least for long enough for him to get away.  He thought about yelling for help but that would mean getting caught sneaking around where he was told not to—which might result in his death anyhow.

 

            Before he or the monster could act, a low menacing growl came from behind the creature, near the door to the coffin room. 

 

            _~Shit, now it’s got a buddy to chow down on me with.  I wonder what the guys will say when they found out I ended up as lunch to some kind of research specimens?~_

            The two-headed monster either didn’t notice the growl or didn’t care.  It began to reach for the panting Turk again, but something happened that made it stop.  There was a rending sound and black blood splattered to the floor.  The creature made an odd, gurgling sound of pain with both heads and turned around to face its new attacker.  Reno could see four deep gouges in the creature’s mottled back, slashing diagonally from shoulder-blade to hip.  He inched along the tunnel wall toward the end of the tunnel where the ramp led back up, hoping that the two-headed monster and its new competitor would keep each other busy long enough for him to escape.

 

            The two-headed creature shrieked in challenge and Reno saw what had attacked it for the first time.  It was a beast that looked to Reno like some sort of werewolf, only it had two long, curving horns sprouting out of its head on the top.  It had glowing yellow eyes, ebony fur covering its body and a long, shaggy silver mane of hair sprouting from its head.  It stood on two legs but it was hunched a bit.  The new beast roared at the two-headed creature and lunged at it.  Reno had to dodge out of the way as the two combating monsters went down in a tangle of limbs, fangs and claws where he’d been standing.

 

            Reno started lurching toward the exit but something made him pause and look back.  The werewolf creature had gotten the upper hand but the two-headed creature wasn’t going down easily.  He turned off his EMR and reached for his gun.  He aimed at the two-headed monster, not knowing why he was doing it when the werewolf was likely to tear his throat out as soon as the fight was over.  There was just something about the beast that caught his attention…something almost human.  He waited for a clear shot and when he got one, he put three bullets in the two-headed beast.  The gunfire weakened the monster enough for the werewolf to finish it off. 

 

            Reno wasn’t going to wait around.  As soon as the two-headed monster stopped moving, he stumbled for the exit as fast as he could.  He heard clawed feet closing the distance behind him and he swore.  _~Great move, dumbass.  Now you’re gonna be kibble!~_

            The werewolf creature was fast.  It ran right past the injured Turk and cut in front of him, blocking his retreat.  Reno backed away from it, putting his back to the tunnel wall as it closed in.  “Uh, nice wolfy,” Reno gasped as the beast’s muzzle drew so close that its hot breath was blowing against his neck and chest.  He licked his lips nervously as the amber eyes studied him with an intelligence surpassing a mere beast.  He didn’t move, encouraged that it wasn’t growling at him or tearing his throat out.  It seemed…curious.

 

            “So you weren’t after me, right?” Reno said in a weak voice.  He tensed when the beast’s muzzle pressed against his chest and began to sniff, and jumped when the probing nose goosed him a little in the ribs.  “H-hey, I’m ticklish.  Don’t do that, okay?”

 

            The great head raised and the golden eyes regarded him studiously for a few heartbeats.  Abruptly, the beast backed away from Reno, turned around and padded back down the tunnel.  The redhead was too petrified to do anything except watch the creature warily.  It went into the side room where he’d found the coffin and he grimaced as he listened for sounds of screaming.  There was nothing…except the sound of the door at the very end of the long tunnel opening.  He didn’t know if the people in that room had heard the ruckus or if they were leaving at the end of a shift, but he couldn’t afford to find out.

 

            “Time to blow this taco stand!”  Reno no longer had any interest in seeing the secret lab or finding out what was really going on there.  He needed to get out before he got caught, get Rude and get back to HQ to see a doctor.

 

~***********************************~ 

 

            Rude was finished with his meal by the time he saw his partner coming into the Inn.  He stood up abruptly at the sight of the redhead.  Reno was as pale as a ghost and he was holding his left arm with his right.  His lips were twisted in pain and his eyes were wide and dilated.  The bald man met him half way and helped him to the table, disliking the glazed look in his sea-green eyes.

 

            “What the hell happened to you, man?” Rude whispered.

 

            Reno looked at him and almost blurted that there were demons in the mansion, but he was aware that they were in the company of undercover ShinRa employees and any reference to the mansion would get him in serious trouble.  “I had to climb up to the top of the power generator to check out the meter,” he said in a strained voice, “my foot slipped and my arm got caught on the ladder rungs.  I think my shoulder’s dislocated, yo.”

 

            Rude gently eased his partner’s hand away from his shoulder and probed.  Reno gasped raggedly and went even paler, and Rude immediately stopped and supported him around his uninjured side when his knees started to buckle. 

 

            “Easy, partner,” Rude murmured solicitously.  “It’s dislocated, all right.  We’d better get you back to have it looked at.  Sit down while I pay the bill, so we can get the hell out of here.”

 

 

            “Does he need to have someone here look at him?” The cashier asked Rude, having overheard the conversation.  Other people were watching the redhead as well.

 

            “We’ll do that at Headquarters,” Rude said, “Pack me one of those cold deli sandwiches to go, will you?  Also, where can I buy some pain medicine to give him until we get home?”

 

            The cashier leaned a little closer to the big man and murmured, “Just go to the pharmacy across the street and show them your ID badge when you ask for it.  The Company will cover it.”

 

            Rude nodded.  “Thanks.  Oh, let me get a couple of sodas, too.”

 

~**************************************~

 

            Reno was still as white as a sheet when they walked out of town to the waiting chopper.  Rude kept an arm around his partner and studied him with concern.  There was something more than he’d told him and he could feel the lingering fear radiating from the redhead.  He said nothing until they got into the helicopter.

 

            “Here, take these,” Rude said as he shook out a couple of pain pills from the bottle the pharmacist had given him.  Reno wordlessly took the tablets from his hand and Rude opened a can of soda and waited for his partner to put the pills into his mouth before handing it to him.  Reno washed the medicine down with a grimace and took a few long swallows from the drink.  Rude stretched over and carefully secured the redhead in his seatbelt, then did the same for himself.

 

            “Think you can fly with that arm?” Rude asked, wondering if he could be of any help without crashing them.

 

            Reno nodded.  “I might have to get you to push a few buttons for me now and then.  The stick’s easy enough to handle.”

 

            Rude nodded and watched as the smaller man leaned his head back against the seat and panted with pain.  “So what really happened to your arm, baby?” He asked softly.  “You look like you saw a ghost.”

 

            “I didn’t see nuthin’, and neither did you,” Reno said.

 

            Rude frowned.  “Of course I didn’t see anything.  I wasn’t there when it happened.  You saw something though.”

 

            Reno frowned, but he knew that Rude wouldn’t be pushing if he wasn’t really concerned.  “Don’t lecture me, alright?  I went into the ShinRa mansion.”

 

            Rude sighed and crossed his arms over his chest, but he didn’t lecture…yet.

 

            “I found the door to the basement,” Reno went on, closing his eyes in pain.  “I went down there and found a huge tunnel, with a door at the far end of it.  I’m pretty sure the lab’s back there.  I was gonna check it out but I found a little side room on the way and I picked the lock to have a look in there.”  He paused and turned his head toward the bald man, opening his eyes and regarding him with a stern look.  “Don’t laugh when you hear this, man.  I couldn’t make it up if I tried.”

 

            Rude furrowed his brow and nodded.  He knew Reno could embellish a bit on a story and make things more sensational than they really were, but he could tell the redhead wasn’t in the mood for entertaining him.  “Go on,” he said.

 

            “I found a fucking coffin in there.  First thing I thought was maybe Fair was in it.  It looked like it hadn’t been bothered in a while.  So I opened it—“

 

            “You opened the coffin?” Rude interrupted with a grimace.  “Why the hell would you—“

 

            “I told ya, I wanted to see who or what was in it.”  Reno shifted and winced.  “As I was saying, I opened the coffin and found a body in it all right, but it wasn’t Zack and it looked like it was totally fresh.  It was some Wutaian guy and he wasn’t as dead as I thought.”

 

            “Excuse me?” Rude said with raised eyebrows.

 

            “The guy woke up and looked at me, man!  I swear, his eyes were blood red, too.  Then I heard something behind me and…”  Reno told his partner about the whole encounter and when he was finished, Rude sat silent and pensive.  “See, I knew you wouldn’t believe me,” Reno said sourly.

 

            “I didn’t say I don’t believe it,” Rude murmured.  The sun was starting to go down, so he took his shades off and put them in his jacket pocket.  He looked at Reno with contemplative brown eyes.  “We both know they’re doing experiments in that place.  Hojo’s more than a little twisted and with someone like him running the show, nothing surprises me.”

 

            Reno relaxed a little and licked dry lips, closing his eyes again and leaning back.  “We should get going.  This pain medication’s going to make me drowsy and I need to get us in the air and on course before that happens.  You think you know enough about flying to keep an eye on things once I set the auto-pilot, partner?”

 

            “Yeah,” Rude said.  “Let’s get you to headquarters so we can have you looked at.”

 

            “What are you gonna say in the report?” Reno asked.

 

            Rude frowned.  “You’re my partner, Red.  We’ll stick with the ladder story.  I’m not risking your ass for protocol.”

 

            Reno gave him a weak smile.  “Teddy bear.”

 

            Rude grumbled something and Reno chuckled and started the chopper up.

 

~**********************************~

 

            The President demanded a report immediately when they landed, so Reno had to wait to see his injuries treated.  As they walked down the wing leading to the President’s office, Rude noticed his partner stumble and he quickly put an arm around his waist and supported him.  Too concerned to resist, he stroked the redhead’s hair and Reno yelped when his fingers inadvertently pressed against the bump on the back of his head.

 

            “You didn’t say anything about a head injury,” Rude lectured as he carefully ran his fingertips over the prominent bump.  “Fuck, let’s get this over with fast.  Just lean on me, baby.”

 

            The debriefing went quickly and both Turks lied convincingly enough about the cause of Reno’s injuries that President Shinra didn’t suspect a thing.  As soon as they left the office, Reno went pale again and leaned against the wall, panting softly and clutching his dangling arm.

 

            “That’s it,” Rude said firmly, “put your good arm around my neck, Red.”

 

            Reno was in too much pain and too nauseous to argue.  He draped his right arm around Rude’s neck, his EMR bouncing against the bald man’s shoulder.  Rude put one arm around the back of his shoulders and the other under the back of his legs.  He lifted the smaller man and carried him toward the elevator.  The doors opened as they approached and there stood none other than Rufus and Tseng, evidently on their way to see the President as well.

 

            “What’s all this?” Rufus said as he stepped out of the elevator, his gray eyes fixed on Reno’s pallid form.

 

            “He got hurt on the job,” Rude explained as evenly as his concern allowed him to.  “The President wanted a report before he went to the med lab.”

 

            Rufus’ eyes went hard like chips of ice.  “Did he.”

 

            “I tripped on a ladder checking out the power generator—“ Reno began automatically, but Rufus cut him off.

 

            “Save it for later, Reno.  You can tell me all about it after you’ve been treated.  I’ve got to have a word with my ‘father’.”

 

            Tseng placed a placating hand on Rufus’s shoulder.  “Reacting in anger won’t solve anything, Sir.  It could even make things harder on Reno, if you storm into the President’s office and confront him.”

 

            Rufus sighed and looked at the Wutaian with a mixture of annoyance and respect.  “Must you do that all of the time?”

 

            Tseng’s dark eyes smiled at him but his face remained impassive.  “It’s my nature, Sir.”

 

            “Fine,” Rufus said almost petulantly.  He reached out and briefly touched Reno’s pale cheek.  To Rude, he said: “Take care of him.  I want the medical report as soon as they’re finished and I’ll give him time off accordingly.”

 

            Rude nodded respectfully.  “Sir.”

 

~**************************************~

 

            _Turns out I had a mild concussion on top of the dislocated shoulder.  When they popped my shoulder back in I threw up all over Rude’s designer shoes.  The big guy was so damned worried about me he hardly even noticed.  They put me on a heavy dose of pain and nausea pills and Rude took me home and called Ma.  She came over and between the two of them, they babied the living hell out of me until I was ready to blow my brains out._

_The head injury healed faster than the shoulder.  I had to wear my left arm in a sling for a few weeks to keep it mobilized and let the muscles tighten up again.  I was kind of thankful when Rude and Ma finally stopped squatting at my house after a few days and gave me some peace, but I hardly got a day to myself before Rufus showed up at my apartment._

~********************************~

 

            “Hey boss, come on in.”  Reno smiled at the VP, glad to see him in person again despite being relieved to have his home to himself once more.  Unlike his mother and partner, Rufus wasn’t the babying type.

 

            “You look like yourself again, Fox,” Rufus said as he walked through the threshold, “I trust you’re healing well?”

 

            “Yes, Sir,” Reno answered, shutting the door behind his lover.  “Want a drink?”

 

            “Thanks, no.  I came to speak with you about your report.”  Rufus’s eyes were piercing on him and Reno shifted uncomfortably.

 

            “What about it, boss?”  Reno had learned that while he could fool most other people, his lovers knew his body too well to be completely convinced by deception.

 

            “I can believe that you slipped on the rung of the ladder, hit your head and dislocated your arm,” Rufus said smoothly, “But I know you, Fox.  You’ve expressed more than a mild interest in what goes on in that mansion and I find it a little too convenient that you had an attack of clumsiness on the very same mission that presented you with the opportunity to explore.” 

 

            Rufus walked into the living room and sat down on the couch, relaxing comfortably in it as he gazed up at the redhead with probing eyes.  “There was more to your behavior upon returning than pain, Reno.  I need to know exactly what you saw—and don’t lie to me.”

 

            Reno bit his lip.  _~Damn!  I should have known.~_ Aloud, he asked: “Mind if I grab a beer first?  Every time I think about it I get the chills, yo.”

 

            “Go right ahead.  Now that you mention it, I’ve changed my mind.  I’ll have one as well.”  Rufus said.

 

            Reno started toward the kitchen and the VP suddenly stood up and followed him.  “Wait,” Rufus murmured, “You’ve only got the use of one arm.  Go and sit down and I’ll get them.”

 

            “You don’t have to—“ Reno started, only to be interrupted by a swift, demanding kiss from the blonde.

 

            “Shush,” Rufus murmured.  “I’m perfectly capable of getting my own drink and while the sight of you struggling to carry two beers with one hand may prove entertaining, it might lead to alcohol waste.”

 

            Reno smirked and shrugged, refreshed that Rufus’s reasons were as practical as they were compassionate.  He went into the living room and relaxed on the couch as much as he was able.  Minutes later, the blonde joined him and sat beside him.  Reno thanked him as he took his beer and he boldly sidled closer to him, though Rufus had been all business aside from that kiss.  Rufus put an arm around him and took a drink.

 

            “Now then,” Rufus said after swallowing, “tell me what happened.”

 

            Reno told him and just as with Rude, he expected an incredulous look, laughter or insinuation that he was under too much stress.  Just as with Rude, the VP took him seriously and didn’t laugh at his story.  Rufus listened with attentive eyes and when Reno was finished, he finished his beer and set it on the coffee table and held the redhead’s eyes.

 

            “This incident will stay between the four of us,” he said.  “Stick to your fabricated story and I want you to stay away from that mansion until you’re told otherwise by myself or Tseng, understood?”

 

            Reno nodded.  “No problem, boss.  I’ve got no interest in going back there after that.”

 

            “Good,” Rufus said.  “We’ll get our answers but we must be discreet, while my father’s in power.”  He leaned in and kissed the redhead lingeringly.  Reno tried to initiate more but the blonde refused.  “When you’ve recovered,” he promised. 

 

~******************************~

 

            A week after the investigation at Nibelheim, Reno was called into work.  His arm was still in a sling but he was anxious for some action again.  He only hoped it wasn’t paperwork.  He took a cab to headquarters and made his way to Rufus’s office, his uniform properly arranged for once.  When he was buzzed in and stepped through the door, he found himself in a dark room.

 

            “What the hell—“ Reno began, only to have his wits half-startled out of him when the lights came on suddenly and the sound of plastic horns and cranks assaulting his ears.  He blinked as several of his fellow Turks were revealed in the light, including Rude and Tseng—who stood on either side of Rufus.  Cissnei pounced on him from the left and gave him a hug around the neck.

 

            “Happy birthday, Reno!”  The deceptively petite brunette gave him a kiss on the cheek and fit a ridiculous, golden paper crown over his head. 

 

            “What the fuck?” Reno said, staring at the banner draped across the ceiling in the middle of the room.  It read: “Happy twentieth birthday, Reno”.

 

            Rufus, Tseng and Rude moved aside to reveal the VP’s desk.  Sitting on the desk was a birthday cake and several bottles of champagne.  Reno approached slowly, stunned by the whole affair.  When he saw the lettering on the cake, he laughed.

 

            “Twenty years of mischief”, it said.

 

            Tseng poured a glass of champagne and handed it to Reno, while Rude lit the candles on the cake. 

 

            “Make a wish, Reno,” Cissnei prompted as the redhead bent over the cake.

 

            Reno thought about it.  “Hmm, I’ve already got pretty much everything I ever wanted,” he said.  Then he glanced swiftly at Tseng.  “Almost, anyhow.  What the hell, it couldn’t hurt.”  He blew out the candles and everyone clapped, blew their horns or twirled their noisemakers.  Cissnei began to cut the cake, while Rufus lifted his glass for a toast.

 

            “To your health, Reno,” the VP said with a crooked smile.

 

            Everyone drank and Tseng shifted closer to the redhead.  “So Reno,” he murmured softly, “do you think that your wish might come true?”

 

            Reno winked at the Wutaian.  “That depends on a certain someone.”

 

~***********************************~

 

-To be continued

 

 

 

 


	14. Chapter 14

“Thanks for the Memories”

A Reno fan fiction

Chapter 14: “Tranquility”

~*******************************************~

*Disclaimer:  The world that this story is set in and all characters therein belong to Square-Enix.  This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can’t get enough of this world and the characters.* 

~***********************************************~

 

            _I got my birthday wish that same night.  Tseng invited me over to his apartment after the party and even though I told him he didn’t have to go through the trouble, he made some sushi for me and we had a small, late dinner together.  Instead of the rice wine this time he served my favorite brand of beer with it.  You wouldn’t think beer would go good with sushi but it did.  Afterwards we sat in what he called his “tranquil room”, where he had a hot tub and a little pond with all kinds of koi fish.  He told me about the different breeds and let me feed them.  It’s funny how watching fish swim around can be so calming._

 

_~******************************~_

“So do these guys all have their own names?” Reno asked as he sprinkled some of the fish food over the water and watched the animals nibble at it.

 

            Tseng knelt down beside the redhead and nodded.  “The big Showa there is Yoru.  The smaller female beside him is Asa.  Those two kohaku closest to you are Nichi and Aki and the large Asagi at the far end over there is Shirogane.  Shirogane had two siblings but unfortunately, all three of them were infected with fin rot when I got them and Shirogane was the only one I was able to save.”

 

            “Sounds like you really care about your fish,” Reno said with a little smile.

 

            “I was raised to value life,” explained the Wutaian, “and the koi fish remind me of home.  I also believe that if one chooses to have pets or children, one is obligated to care for them to the best of his or her ability.”

 

            Reno watched the fish and thought about his superior’s words.  “Yeah, I never understood people that get pets and then don’t take care of them.  Ma didn’t always have the money to pay bills but she never let me go hungry and I never went a day without hearing her say she loved me.  I was luckier than a lot of kids growing up in my neighborhood.”  He regarded the black-haired Turk thoughtfully.  “So Tseng, if you respect life so much, why’d you become a Turk?  I mean, no offense but the job ain’t exactly nurturing, yo.” __

Tseng smiled at him, un-offended by the question because he was used to Reno’s inquisitive, open nature by now.  He knew the redhead wasn’t asking to be rude and frankly, Reno’s lack of restraint when asking questions was refreshing.  “All things balance out in the end, Reno.  I do the job because I believe some good can come of it and I’ve found that in this life, there are both positives and negatives to most choices we make.  In order to eat, we must kill.  In order to reproduce, women must put themselves through substantial discomfort and risk their own health—or even their lives.  To protect ourselves, we may need to resort to violence.  Wars happen because men are greedy and unable to compromise with one another.  If one culture doesn’t start the fight, another will.  So you see, in order to reach the light we sometimes have to walk through darkness.”

 

            Reno stared at him, feeling oddly turned-on by the Wutaian’s impressive wisdom even though he didn’t fully understand what he was saying.  He thought of how he’d killed his mother’s boyfriend years ago because he felt like it was the only way to protect her.  He thought of how Rufus had shot his loan shark in the head to stop him from raping him.  Tseng was right; sometimes people had to do bad things to make good things happen.  He thought he was beginning to understand why Tseng supported ShinRa’s war against his homeland, but it was confusing. 

 

            “That’s a little depressing, now that I think of it,” Reno murmured, pulling one knee up and resting his uninjured arm over it.  “I guess I’ve always known nothing in life is free, but hearing it is a bummer.”  He studied Tseng’s attractively sculpted features and heaved a sigh.  “So you never complained about the war with your country because you figured it was inevitable?”

 

            Tseng grimaced slightly and lowered his eyes.  “I’m going to tell you something that I’ve never told another soul, Reno.  When the Wutaian war began, I considered attempting to defect from the Turks.  I knew that in doing so, I would forfeit my life.  As you know, once you don the uniform you belong to ShinRa and turning in a resignation simply isn’t an option.  We belong to the company and the President.  One day, we’ll belong completely to Rufus.  That is the price of joining this organization and I accepted that long ago. __

“Wutai may be conquered, but it isn’t broken.  Some day my country will grow strong enough again to regain independence from ShinRa and if there’s one thing I may be thankful for, it’s that the war is over and ShinRa is helping to rebuild the damage.  Wutai will survive.  With that knowledge, I can sleep at night.”  Tseng smiled softly again, his dark eyes content as they met Reno’s.

The redhead’s heart thudded in his chest and his mouth went dry.  _~I don’t know if it’s his calmness or his complexity that does it, but Tseng always gives me these damned butterflies and I don’t know how the hell to approach him.  It’s always so easy with the others but I feel like doing my usual thing would just be too…I dunno…crude for someone like him.~_

 

            Tseng sensed Reno’s hesitation and he smiled inwardly.  There was something strangely satisfying in the knowledge that the normally impulsive young man was bashful around him.  He reached out slowly and stroked Reno’s long ponytail with one hand.  “May I?” he inquired as he gently tugged on the band holding it in place.  Reno nodded and he used both hands to work the hair free of the tail.  When that was accomplished, he combed his fingers through the length with one hand and slid the other hand under Reno’s chin, cupping his jaw lightly and leaning in to kiss him.  He was teasing about it at first, brushing his lips back and forth over his companion’s before pressing lightly.  He stroked between Reno’s lips with his tongue and they parted compliantly.

 

            Reno returned the favor, loosening Tseng’s ponytail to free his hair.  The Wutaian’s raven hair had grown a bit longer and it fell to just beneath the shoulders.  It was so silken and smooth to the touch it was difficult to believe it was his real hair.  Reno was able to tug the band out of it with only one hand, it slid so easily.  He allowed the other man’s tongue to push into his mouth and he caressed it with his own, his breath quickening with passion and need.  He moved his hand down to the collar of Tseng’s business jacket and he deftly worked the buttons open.

 

            Tseng slowly broke the kiss and caressed Reno’s face.  “Let’s have a seat on the bench, shall we?”  He got to his feet and offered a hand to Reno.  The redhead took it and allowed the Wutaian to help him to his feet.  They walked to the long, cushioned rattan bench and had a seat next to each other.  Reno started to reach out for Tseng again and hesitated, making the Wutaian smile. __

            ~His virginal behavior toward me is as fascinating as it is puzzling.  Am I so intimidating to our Kitsune?~

 

Whether Reno’s uncertainty was due to intimidation or respect for him, Tseng found it endearing regardless. He embraced the redhead slowly, putting one arm around his shoulders and the other around his waist.  This time Reno kissed him eagerly, encouraged by the Wutaian’s initiation.  Tseng barely checked a soft moan as his younger companion finally gave him a real taste of his kissing skills. 

            ~Shiva, I wasn’t prepared for this.  I knew that he was talented with his mouth but he never quite let himself go with me that night we had our first little encounter.~

 

Tseng wasn’t especially aggressive by nature but Reno’s darting tongue and gently sucking lips ignited fire in his veins and he kissed him harder.  He started to pull the redhead’s jacket off but the sling got in the way.  He broke the kiss and unfastened the sling, easing Reno’s arm out of it carefully.

 

            “How does it feel, Reno?  Can you go without it for a little while?”  Tseng knew that it had been healing nicely over the past few weeks but he didn’t want to hurt his companion.

 

            “Yeah, I do my exercises twice a day, so this should be fine,” Reno answered.  “It’s just a little stiff and sore.”

 

            Tseng removed the sling and helped him out of his jacket and shirt.  “Stay here,” he murmured as he kissed the redhead, “I’ve got some muscle rub in the restroom that I’d like to apply to it.”

 

            “You’re spoiling me, boss,” Reno said with a grin. 

 

Tseng kissed him again and rose to his feet, leaving him alone in the tranquil room.  Reno absently watched the fish swim and he took a sip of his beer.  A few moments later Tseng returned, carrying a green colored bottle of oil in one hand and a blue colored bottle in the other.  He sat back down beside Reno and removed the cap from the blue bottle.  “Turn around, please,” he instructed.  Reno straddled the bench and put his back to him and Tseng brushed his hair over his right shoulder to get it out of the way.  He poured some onto his hand and Reno caught a whiff of lavender.

“I’m gonna leave here smelling like a garden,” the redhead commented with a smirk.  He sighed when the Wutaian’s hands began to rub the oil into his bare shoulder and arm, massaging skillfully.  It ached a little when his fingers pressed against the healing joint and tendons surrounding it, but in a good way.  “Mmm,” Reno purred, relaxing and closing his eyes.  Tseng leaned forward and kissed the exposed side of his neck sensually, licking and sucking at the skin as his hands eased the tension and stiffness from the joint and muscles. 

 

Tseng kept his touch professional and firm for several minutes, until the soft sighs and groans of pleasure escaping Reno’s parted lips wore away his resolve.  His oil slick palms began to explore other areas of the redhead’s bare torso, gliding around the front to rub his chest and stomach.  Reno turned his head and kissed him, prompting Tseng to fondle his nipples to hardness.  The redhead gasped faintly and sweetly against his lips and Tseng pushed his tongue into his mouth and caressed inside. 

 

Tseng teased the tightened buds for a few moments before sliding his hands down.  He was aching to touch Reno in all of the places he’d forbidden himself from exploring before, but he was determined not to rush this encounter.  He scooted closer to the redhead, until Reno’s backside was pressed between his spread thighs.

 

Reno laid his hands over Tseng’s thighs and stroked them as best as he could in his position.  He had a bit of trouble with his left arm because he still didn’t have the elasticity back in his shoulder, but the older man didn’t seem to mind.  Reno’s breath shivered against Tseng’s lips as the other Turk’s hands skimmed down beneath his belly button and lightly stroked along the waistline of his pants.  It was suggestive and teasing at once, making Reno’s groin throb with anticipation and need.  Tseng’s fingers traced back and forth in a butterfly-soft caress, over and over again until Reno moaned pleadingly and had to resist the temptation to grab the older man’s hand and drag it between his thighs.

 

Rufus used extreme stimulation tactics to get the reactions he desired and Rude was passionate and aggressive, but Tseng was subtle.  Reno had no idea he had so many sensual zones on his body that weren’t around the most obvious places.  The black-haired Turk’s fingertips skimmed over his flesh in a way that almost tickled, but not quite.  While one hand continued to knead, and stroke beneath his belly button, the other slid around back again and caressed his back between his shoulder blades.  His lips continuously brushed against Reno’s neck and lips, occasionally giving him firm kisses on the mouth.  Soon, he had the redhead’s body tingling with awareness and need.

When Reno’s hands began to squeeze his thighs and he began to shift restlessly against him, Tseng knew it was time to go further.  He moved the hand stroking between Reno’s shoulders around to the front and dipped the hand stroking his waistline lower.  The redhead made a husky sound of gratitude in his throat as Tseng’s fingers worked to unfasten his pants.  He turned his head and kissed the Wutaian hotly on the mouth, groaning faintly as the material parted and his stiffened sex was freed from the confines and stroked.  Tseng deepened the kiss and fondled the other Turk’s balls with one hand while stroking his length with the other. 

 

Reno was so hot by the time his companion began to massage the source of his desire that he almost lost it.  Tseng felt his groin tightening and he gripped the base of his length to stall it.  Reno moaned into his mouth and panted softly as his cock twitched in his firm grip.  The near-orgasm faded and he whimpered. 

 

“Damn, you’re a tease,” Reno gasped.

           

Tseng’s mouth smiled against his.  “I wasn’t ready for you to finish,” he murmured between soft kisses, resuming his stroking on the throbbing shaft.  “Reno, have you ever been inside of anyone before?”

 

The redhead went still with surprise.  ~Is he serious?  Wait, of course he is…Tseng isn’t the sort of guy to take just one role.  Shit, what do I say?  I want to but I don’t want to suck at it.~

 

“Kitsune?” Tseng persisted gently.

 

“No,” Reno answered breathlessly, “I’ve…er…I’ve never done it that way before.  It’s not usually my first instinct.  D-do you want me to…ah hell Tseng, I don’t wanna disappoint you.”

 

“I sincerely doubt that you will,” Tseng was smiling with encouragement and he rubbed the tip of his companion’s erection in a way that made Reno gasp and squirm.  “Have some faith in yourself.  You’ve got sensual instincts I’ve never encountered before.  However, I don’t want you to be uncomfortable, Reno.  If you don’t want to—”

 

“I want to,” Reno interrupted a little desperately.  If there was one person he could top for, Tseng was it.  The role wasn’t something he usually wanted to take—not just because of inexperience but also because it felt so damned good to feel someone’s hardness driving into his body.  With the Wutaian, however, it was easier to imagine trying out a seme role.  Naturally curious, he wanted to know what it felt like and now someone with experience was offering him that opportunity.

 

“Thank Leviathan,” Tseng said with a breathless little laugh.  “I wasn’t certain that you would accept.” 

 

Reno was surprised to hear the touch of nervousness in Tseng’s voice and it made his ego flare a little to know that the other Turk wanted him that badly.  “I’ll do my best to make it good for you,” the redhead promised with a kiss.

_~****************************************~_

Tseng spread out some large cushions on the floor near the koi pond and they lay down together and resumed the foreplay.  Reno was determined to make the Wutaian come at least once, so he didn’t begin preparing him for the final act right away after fitting the condom over his own erection.  Instead, he pushed Tseng onto his back, using the strength in his uninjured arm and the element of surprise.  While Tseng looked up at him with raised eyebrows, Reno grinned and started exploring his sleek-muscled, golden-toned body. 

 

            “You’ve gotta let me enjoy the moment for a little while,” stated the redhead as he ran his hands over Tseng’s chest and stomach.  The Wutaian was toned and his chest was free of hair.  Reno tweaked the copper nipples with his fingers until they hardened and Tseng shut his eyes and sighed with pleasure. 

 

Reno started to stretch out on top of him but his left arm couldn’t support his weight and what was intended to be a smooth move ended up as him sprawling ungracefully over the Wutaian.  “Sorry,” he grunted as he struggled to right himself and felt his face heat up.

 

Tseng kissed him and murmured, “You’re still healing.  Make allowances for yourself, Kitsune.”

 

“Yeah, allowances,” Reno mumbled as he tilted so that his weight was resting on his good arm.  He lowered his mouth to the other man’s chest and started kissing and licking it.  He didn’t allow himself to think of his slipup, knowing that he had the foreplay skills to make up for it and letting embarrassment get to him would only make him clumsy.  He used his left hand to trace the lines of Tseng’s hips while his lips caressed his chest and shoulders.  Tseng murmured appreciatively when the redhead’s fingers curled around his stiffened shaft and began to stroke along the length.  While he did that, he steadily scooted down Tseng’s body, kissing his smooth skin as he went. 

 

Tseng’s lips parted as Reno’s lips reached his sex and encircled the tip.  He whispered the redhead’s name huskily as he drew his cock slowly into his hot mouth.  __

_~I knew he would be good, but this surpasses my expectations!~_

 

Tseng reached down and combed his fingers through Reno’s bright hair as the younger Turk sucked and licked his cock.  Reno was as talented at fellatio as he was at kissing.  His tongue stroked firmly against the sensitive skin of the organ and his lips remained tightly sealed around the girth as he varied between deep-throating the length and teasing the tip.  One hand curled around the base and worked with the strokes of his mouth, squeezing and stroking to maximize the sensations.

 

Within moments, Tseng was panting lightly and clutching at the cushions to avoid pulling Reno’s hair.  He did his best to hold still for the redhead but he couldn’t resist thrusting his hips a little.  He looked down at his companion’s bobbing head and watched his cock sliding in and out of his mouth.  “Reno,” he panted, clenching his jaw as the sensations grew to an unbearable level.  “I can’t last.”  He didn’t want to come in the redhead’s mouth without a warning, knowing that some people couldn’t bear the taste and texture of semen.

 

Reno didn’t slow or stop.  He stroked Tseng’s belly in a circular motion with one hand to silently encourage him and he felt the cock he was sucking on hardening further.  Tseng gasped a breathy moan and Reno relaxed his throat and took him all the way in, swallowing as the organ began to spasm.  Tseng came down his throat and Reno took the warm gush easily, gulping and sucking until it finished and the black-haired man lay spent and gasping.  He released the softening cock from his mouth and sat up, grinning with pride at the sensual look of passion on Tseng’s sweating face.

“I guess this other oil you brought is the lube, right?” Reno inquired as he lifted the other bottle of oil Tseng and brought in with him.

 

Tseng nodded, still too breathless from his release to answer properly.

 

Reno’s erection throbbed with eager lust within its protective rubber sheath.  He uncorked the bottle and sniffed curiously at it, detecting a hint of rose scent.  “Hmm, smells good, boss.  I guess I don’t mind smelling like pot pourii.  Did you make this stuff yourself?”

 

Again, Tseng nodded.  He’d finally caught his breath enough to speak.  “It isn’t very difficult.”

 

Reno poured some into the palm of his left hand and set the bottle down as he reached between his companion’s parted thighs and slicked the oil over his sphincter.  “Everything about you is exotic,” he said in a husky voice as he rubbed the slippery fluid over Tseng’s entrance.  He gently slipped a finger in, familiar enough with this part of the act.  Reno had a stronger than average sex drive and often when staying the night with Rufus or Rude, he’d wake up horny and get himself ready, then stroke them to hardness and climb onto them to give them a very pleasant wake-up call.  Of course, he’d gotten consent to do that sort of thing from both of them before he began jumping them in their sleep.

 

He started with just the one finger, thrusting forward and back inside of Tseng’s body until he felt him relax around him enough for more.  The Wutaian reached down and caressed Reno’s thighs as he prepared him, groaning softly in encouragement as the other man’s middle finger joined the first one and stretched him.  He shivered when the digits found his prostate and pressed against it rhythmically.  Reno was studying him with practiced, sea-green eyes, watching his reactions carefully as he prepared him and knowing from his own experiences that rushing things could cause pain. 

 

Tseng looked up at his companion and marveled at how sensual he looked.  Reno could claim he didn’t know what he was doing all he liked, but as far as the Wutaian was concerned, the way he looked and acted told a different story.  The long, blue-green eyes were intense and heavy-lidded on him as the redhead’s skillful ministrations eased his body into accepting the penetration and made his groin stir again with arousal.  Tseng moaned and bucked a little when Reno’s massage of his inner gland made his pelvic area throb with sensation.

 

“You like that, don’t you?” Reno purred, rubbing and pressing the spot mercilessly.

“Reno,” Tseng panted, his dark lashes fluttering as his eyes closed with bliss.  His cock stiffened further, until it was fully erect.  It only took a few more moments for it to begin dribbling precum and Tseng tossed his head and moaned with need.

“Damn,” Reno groaned.  He knew Tseng had both uke and seme dispositions but this was the first time he’d seen him fall into the former of the roles completely.  Being the aggressive uke that he was, Reno felt a stir of primal lust throb in his veins at Tseng’s responses to his foreplay.  It made it much easier to imagine topping him.  He added a third finger and thrust with firm, deep strokes.  Tseng groaned his name again and Reno bent down and sucked the cap of his dripping cock into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the tip and swallowing the salty beads of moisture that had formed on it.  The shaken moan that burst from Tseng’s mouth in response warned him that the other man was close to another orgasm, so he kept the oral stimulation short.  He wanted to see if he could get Tseng off by the thrusts of his cock alone.

“I think you’re just about read for me, baby,” Reno observed as he released Tseng’s sex from his mouth and pulled his fingers out of him.  He stretched out on top of the black-haired man and again found himself facing a clumsy dilemma as his left arm gave under his weight.  “Shit,” he muttered in frustration.

 

“Perhaps a different position, for now?” Tseng suggested. 

 

“Good idea,” Reno grunted as he rolled off of the Wutaian and sat up.  He started to suggest that Tseng get on his hands and knees, but doggy-style just didn’t seem right for his first time with the elegant man.  He smiled as he considered his options and thought of his favorite positions.  He’d be less likely to screw up if Tseng were riding him.  It would enable the other man to have more control over the thrusts and it would also give Reno a chance to learn how to pump his hips right.  “Wanna ride me, boss?” He suggested.

 

“Absolutely,” Tseng agreed with a look of hot desire. 

 

Reno could relate to the conflict of wanting to top even while bottoming.  Hell, he did it all the time.  He grinned as he and Tseng switched positions and the Wutaian guided him onto his back.

 

“What’s so amusing, Kitsune?” Tseng inquired with a smile.

 

“I just realized something,” Reno said as he relaxed and raised his right arm to put his hand under his head.  “This is going to be my first time to do it this way, so technically you’re popping my cherry a second time, yo.”

 

“Indeed,” Tseng answered thoughtfully, intrigued with the concept and aroused by it at the same time.  “It will be an honor to be your first, Reno.”  He gracefully straddled the reclining redhead and placed his palms flat on his chest as he bent to kiss him.  Reno’s fingers slid into his hair and the redhead returned the kiss passionately, his erection throbbing against Tseng’s inner thigh.  Reno struggled into a sitting position, embracing the raven-haired man as they kissed.  It seemed his ability to be passive only went so far, but Tseng certainly didn’t mind. 

 

“Am I putting too much weight on you?” the Wutaian murmured as he broke the kiss momentarily.

 

“It’s fine,” Reno panted.  “I need you, Tseng.” __

Tseng obliged him, no less eager himself for the intimate joining of their bodies.  He lifted up and grasped Reno’s erection, positioning it until he felt it pressing against his entrance.  He put his arms around the redhead’s waist and eased down onto him, biting his lip as the head breached him.  Once that part was inside of him he relaxed and sank down the rest of the way, murmuring Reno’s name breathlessly.

 

Reno closed his eyes and groaned at the feeling of Tseng’s body squeezing him.  “Oh…fuck,” he rasped, pushing his hips upward to drive it in deep.  Tseng gasped and Reno kissed him to muffle the moan that followed.  He let his hands slide down the other man’s ribcage to his waist, then to his hips.  He held onto them and thrust again as Tseng rocked.  He no longer cared about offending the Director with his swearing; he was too caught up in the moment and his lust to watch his mouth.  It took a few minutes for him to adjust his movements and get in synch with Tseng, but once he did he let himself go a little.  He dragged his lips down Tseng’s jaw and neck, kissing the smooth skin as he gasped and grunted with pleasure. 

 

Reno retained enough logic to consider the best angle to thrust at, quickly going over his knowledge of male anatomy as he grasped Tseng’s hips and shifted beneath him.  He knew he got it right when the Wutaian moaned shakenly and held him tightly.  He smiled against Tseng’s chest and took his left nipple between his lips to tease it with his tongue.  His companion groaned his name and rocked harder against him and he obliged the silent plea and bucked firmly, driving his cock in deep at the angle that provided the most pleasure.  Tseng hollered sharply and Reno released his nipple to look up at him uncertainly, wondering if he’d hurt him.

 

“How’s that?” Reno panted.

 

“Fantastic,” answered the raven-haired Turk in a ragged voice.  He cupped Reno’s face and kissed him deeply, undulating steadily on top of him.  The redhead’s steady, firm thrusts made him moan uncontrollably and he broke the kiss to gasp,  “Reno, you feel amazing inside of me.”

 

“Careful with…the compliments,” Reno laughed breathlessly, “I’m already vain as it is.”

 

Tseng smiled and kissed him again. __

~No wonder Rufus is so enamored with him.  He told me I would have to experience him myself to understand and he was right.  Not only is he sensual and skilled; he’s warm and very generous with his lovemaking.  His sense of humor and frankness also make him easy to approach.  I dare say I’m falling for him as well.~

 

“Ah, Kitsune,” Tseng sighed against Reno’s mouth, getting closer to his climax with every pelvic thrust.  Reno was evidently getting close too.  His moans were growing louder and more frequent and his fair features were flushed and damp with perspiration. 

 

“Oh…oh shit, Tseng,” the redhead gasped, “H-hold still a minute baby…I can’t…I can’t hold it…oh Gaia, wait!”

 

Tseng refused to wait, for his orgasm was surfacing too and he wanted his companion to feel him clenching around him and lose control.  He moved faster and held Reno’s head still for a hard, deep kiss as the blissful spasms began.  His cock pulsed, spurting his creamy seed against Reno’s stomach and he felt his ass clench hard around the stiff organ inside of him.

 

Reno’s breath exploded from his lips as Tseng broke the kiss and stared into his eyes.  He blurted a long, trembling moan as the Wutaian’s tight passage milked him and he bucked inside of him, filling the condom with his load.  He embraced Tseng tightly and pressed his cheek against his chest, trembling and gasping with ecstasy.  Tseng stroked his hair and panted softly, still rocking against him.

 

They held each other in the afterglow, kissing and stroking one another’s bodies.  After a while Reno’s shoulder started to ache again.  He tried to ignore it but all of the activity he’d just done had made the joint flare with irritation.  He shifted a little and gasped in pain, provoking Tseng to ease off of him and rub the shoulder with a concerned frown.

 

“Forgive me, Reno.  Perhaps I should have left it in the sling,” said the black-haired Turk.

 

Reno shook his head and winced a little.  “Nah, if we’d have done that I wouldn’t have had the use of both hands.  I wouldn’t have wanted the handicap and the pain isn’t that bad.”

 

Tseng continued to knead and rub his shoulder.  “Nevertheless, I feel responsible.  Why don’t we relax in the hot-tub for a while?  The heat should help the ache.”

 

“Sounds like a great idea,” Reno answered. __

_~***************************************~_

            _After that we fooled around in the hot-tub for a while.  Lemme tell ya, giving head underwater isn’t as easy as the movies make it out to be.  I figured I’d give it a shot but to tell you the truth, I damned near drowned myself and I got water in my ears.  I got the job done after coming up for air a few times but underwater oral ain’t something you can do easily without some practice.  Afterward, Tseng made me lay on each side for twenty minutes with a towel under my ear to drain the water out of ‘em._

_We went to bed after I got the water out of my ears and before we went to sleep, Tseng showed me he was just as good at taking the seme role as he was the uke role.  He’s got a way with making it last for a long time and I was sore and spent by the time he finished.  I slept like a rock, spread out on top of him.  You know the saying though: all good things come to an end.  We had to go to work the next morning and all the sex we had the night before didn’t stop him from switching to business mode when he put on the uniform._

 

_~**************************************~_

Tseng reached out for the phone on his nightstand as soon as it rang, trying to get it before it woke Reno up.

 

            “This is Tseng,” he murmured, fighting a yawn.

 

            “Good morning, Tseng,” Rufus’s voice answered.  “I trust Reno is with you?”

 

            Tseng glanced sidelong at the sleeping redhead and smiled softly, stroking Reno’s bright hair as he stirred and murmured incoherently.  “Right beside me,” the Wutaian answered in a low voice.  He checked the time on his watch and realized it was almost time for his alarm to go off for him to get ready for work.  “Did you have a pleasant evening, Sir?”

 

            “I had paperwork,” Rufus sighed.  “I’m sure your evening was much more enjoyable than mine.”

 

            “I’m sure it was,” Tseng murmured.

 

            “Well then, I’m not crude enough to ask for details but I assume it all went as you wished,” Rufus said.  There was a smirk in his voice.

 

            “It did indeed,” replied the Turk.  “You were right about him, Koibito.”

 

            “Mmmph?” Reno muttered, raising his head groggily.

 

            “Shhh,” Tseng hushed gently, pressing a light kiss on his parted lips.

 

            “Excellent,” Rufus said sincerely.  “I won’t keep you, then.  I’ll see you both at Headquarters later this morning.”

 

            “Of course, Sir.  We’ll be on time,” Tseng assured him.  “Have a good morning.”

 

            He hung up the phone and reluctantly sat up, pulling the covers off both himself and his drowsy companion.  “It’s time to wake up and get ready for work, Reno.”

 

            Reno grumbled and put a pillow over his head.  Tseng sighed but he was too distracted by the sight of the young man’s fair, naked body to immediately chastise him.  Forcing his arousal down, the Wutaian pulled the pillow off of Reno’s head and bent down to kiss him on the ear.  He nipped the lobe just enough to sting, making Reno yelp softly. __

“Up, Kitsune.  We must shower, have breakfast and change into our uniforms.  Of course, you’ll still be on paperwork assignments until your arm is fully healed but you still can’t be tardy.”  He stroked Reno’s back and let his hand slide over the soft skin of his buttocks.  The contrast between the firm globes and the silkiness of the skin was intriguing.  This time Tseng couldn’t stop his body from reacting and he sighed again as he hardened.  Deciding that further procrastination would result in more lovemaking and thus the two of them arriving late for work, he changed his tactics.

 

            Reno was about to close his eyes again when he felt Tseng’s hands glide over his ribcage.  At first it felt sensually nice, but then the fingers began to goose him.  He yelped again and Tseng’s body was suddenly covering his, weighing him down.  The Wutaian began to tickle him without pity and Reno swore and fought helpless laughter.

 

            “No, I’ll get up…I’ll get up!  You’ll make me piss myself, man!”  Reno wriggled desperately beneath the Director of his department and tried not to lose control over his full bladder.

 

            “No arguments?” Tseng insisted, “No more procrastinating?”

 

            “Promise,” Reno wheezed, “Whatever you want, just stop!”

 

            Tseng released him with a grin and nodded.  “Good.  Now go and have a shower.  I hung the spare suit you brought with you last night in the main bathroom, so it’s ready for you.”

 

            “You’re not taking a shower with me?” Reno asked with a little frown of disappointment.

 

            Tseng gave him a regretful look.  “Were I to do that, we’d accomplish precious little bathing.  I’ll have my shower in the other bathroom and then we can make breakfast together.”

 

            “I know what I want for breakfast, yo.”  Reno leered at him and winked.

 

            “Behave yourself or I’ll resume where I left off a moment ago,” Tseng was smirking but his eyes were serious.

 

            Reno sighed.  “And the boss is back.  Okay, I guess I’ll just have to make due with what I got last night.”  He winced a little as he got out of bed—and not just from the soreness of his arm.

 

            Tseng allowed himself an amused chuckle.  “I should think that what you got last night would be more than sufficient, given the way you’re limping.”

 

            “Hell, you could cripple me and I’d still want more,” Reno shot over his shoulder as he left the bedroom.

 

            Tseng admired the sight of his naked, retreating ass and he shook his head and smiled fondly.

_~**************************************~_

Cooking breakfast was a chore—not because he was preparing anything particularly complex, but because Reno kept distracting him.  He alternated between flirting, telling jokes and gossiping until Tseng finally put him to work flipping the omelets.  With his left arm secured in its sling again, the redhead was forced to concentrate more on what he was doing and he was blessedly quiet while doing so.  As much as Tseng liked Reno and generally enjoyed his amusing anecdotes, he wasn’t a talkative person in the mornings and too much chatter made him nervous.

 

            They sat down to a breakfast of omelets, miso soup, mango and orange slices.  Reno had developed a fondness for the soup and he ate that first.  He was hungrier than he thought and he ate with a sharp appetite.  After they finished he helped Tseng wash the dishes as best he could.  He thought of asking the Wutaian why he didn’t own a dishwashing machine since he could obviously afford one, but knowing him as he did, he guessed that Tseng just had an appreciation for doing some things by hand.

 

            “Thanks for having me over and feeding me,” Reno said awkwardly as they prepared to get out the door.  The damned butterflies were back—probably because the other man had dropped his casual persona and was all business again.

 

            Tseng noticed the return of shyness and he felt bad for it.  He also noticed that Reno was tugging uncomfortably at his collar and tie.  With a little sigh of defeat, Tseng reached out to remove his companion’s tie. 

 

            “I’ve resolved myself to the fact that formal attire simply isn’t for you,” Tseng murmured with a soothing smile, so that Reno wouldn’t think he was angry with him.  “At least, not for every day work.  I can tolerate you wearing your uniform in a more casual manner while doing office duties and casual work.”  He unzipped the redhead’s blazer and opened the top three buttons of his shirt.  “Just try to keep a more professional, tidy appearance in settings that call for it, will you?”  He finished by deftly un-tucking the white dress shirt from Reno’s pants.  Pulling back, he smiled at him again and squeezed his shoulders.  “Better, Kitsune?”

 

            Reno relaxed, his earlier feelings of trepidation gone. “Yeah, boss.  That’s better.” __

_~I’m just going to have to get used to the way he tries to separate business from pleasure.~_

Knowing that Tseng would drop his casual demeanor completely once they walked out the door, Reno took advantage of the moment and cupped the back of his head, drawing his mouth to his for a searing kiss.  The Wutaian paused for a moment and then returned the kiss, trading dominance back and forth with Reno until they were both breathless and sorely tempted to call in sick to spend the day in bed with each other.  Tseng went so far as to push Reno against the wall and reach into the opening of his shirt.  When his fingers brushed the redhead’s nipple and Reno groaned, his senses returned long enough to yank his hand out and step away.

 

            They stared at each other for a moment, scanning each other’s bodies with needy eyes until Tseng cleared his throat and reached into his pocket for his keys.  “We mustn’t be late,” he reminded Reno huskily.  “The President is already searching for reasons to give the Turks a difficult time.”

 

            Reno sighed and adjusted his crotch uncomfortably.  “You really want to go out there in front of people when we’re both like this?”  He pointed at Tseng’s tented slacks while he tried to get his own package shifted to a more comfortable position.

 

            “Point taken,” Tseng muttered, also uncomfortable but too dignified to do anything about it.  “Let’s give it a few moments and for Shiva’s sake, keep your distance from me.”

 

            Reno laughed, delighted to see that Tseng could be shaken up sometimes. __

_~************************************~_

After they arrived and clocked in, Reno went straight to his office—which wasn’t as large or extravagant as Tseng’s or Rufus’s but it had a nice view.  He looked at the pile of paperwork sitting on his desk and groaned. 

 

            _~Fuck, I’ll be glad when this damned arm heals and I can get back into the more interesting stuff.  This paperwork is going to bore me to drink.~_

 

            The line of thought reminded him of the stash he kept in his bottom desk drawer.  He almost considered having a few pulls from the flask but it was still too early for him to indulge.  Maybe later on that afternoon, once he had the headache he knew he’d get once he got through some of the pile.  Blowing a sigh, he sat down in his chair and got started.  Rude was out doing more interesting things so he couldn’t very well call him into his office to keep him company. 

 

            “Lucky bastard,” Reno grumbled as he powered on his computer and started working. __

_~************************************~_

While Reno was suffering through piles of documents, Tseng was doing a bit of suffering of another kind.  He’d been assigned to keep an eye on Aerith Gainsborough a couple of years ago, before Rufus was given status as the VP and before Reno or Rude joined the Turks.  She was the last surviving Ancient and ShinRa wanted her under careful watch until the time was right.  The time for what, Tseng wasn’t certain.  He believed it had something to do with legends of the Promised Land but given Hojo’s involvement, it could be related to experiments and his interest in reviving the Cetra race.

 

            Today, Tseng went to the Sector five slums to search for Aerith in the ruined church that she spent so much time in.  She wasn’t always there but he preferred to speak with her in the church over disturbing her and her adoptive mother in their home.  Furthermore, he always got an odd feeling of peace when he went to the church.  Fortune was with him this time.  He walked through the broken double-doors and into the church to find the young woman kneeling by her flowerbed.  It was a strange phenomenon, to see flowers growing under the plate at all.  That they were growing from a large hole in the creaky wooden floor of the church was even stranger.

 

            “Good morning, Aerith,” Tseng said with a small bow.

 

            She twisted to her feet and looked at him.  There were tears dripping down her cheeks and she was holding several envelopes in her hands.  Tseng frowned and approached slowly, concerned.  Like it or not, he’d grown fond of the girl over the time he’d spent as her Company-appointed “guardian” and were she not so young he might have considered trying to romance her.

 

            “Aerith,” he said softly as he closed the distance.  “What’s the matter?”

 

            She wiped her eyes with one hand and sniffed, her nose slightly reddened from crying.  She looked up and to the right as she tried to compose herself, her green eyes bright.  “I just…I haven’t heard anything from Zack in over a month.  I know his job is demanding but it’s not like him to ignore my calls.  He usually text messages me or tells me he’ll call me later if he’s busy.  A couple of weeks ago I got a message saying his number was out of service, so I tried to send him some letters in the mail.”  She sniffed again and held out the small stack of envelopes in her hand. 

 

            Tseng looked and he saw that the topmost envelope had the words: “Return to Sender” stamped on it.  He knew why Zack wasn’t responding to her but he couldn’t tell her.  “Aerith,” he began, trying to think of something to say.

 

            “I know something’s wrong,” Aerith continued, “Zack would never just abruptly cut off communication with me for no reason!  You know things, Tseng.  Where is he and why hasn’t he answered any of my messages or letters?  Is he hurt?  I know he’s not dead!”

 

            Tseng stared at her.  Zack Fair was still alive?  He respected Aerith’s strange powers and he knew in his heart that she would have sensed it if he had died.  That was actually his first suspicion when he found her crying—he thought she might have sensed his death.  “Aerith, I honestly have no idea where Zackary Fair is,” he said.  It was the truth.  If he was still alive, it was possible that he was still in the mansion but it was just as likely that he’d been moved to another secret location.  “He’s a member of SOLDIER, not the Turks.”

 

            She appeared crestfallen.  “But you can still find out, I know you can.”  She gazed up at him with pleading, soulful eyes that made his heart ache.  “Do you think I don’t know why you and the Turks are always following me?  You owe me, Tseng.  Please, if there’s anything you can do…” She looked away again and blinked, fighting more tears.

 

            Tseng took her free hand in both of his and looked her in the eye.  “I don’t know where he is,” he said gently, “but if I find him I’ll make certain he contacts you as soon as possible.”

 

            She studied him searchingly for a moment and then held out the little stack of returned letters.  “Take these,” she said.  If you find him, please give these to him.”

 

            Tseng released her hand to take them from her.  “I will.  If you like, you can keep sending him letters and forward them to me.  I’ll keep them safe until he’s found or his death is confirmed.  Will that help you, Aerith?”

 

            She pressed her lips together and nodded.  “Promise me.”

 

            “I swear on all of my ancestors, I will do as you’ve asked.”  He responded.  It was better than a promise and she knew it.

 

            “You never should have been a Turk,” she said softly.

 

            He gave her a pained smile.  “I hear that a lot, but alas, that is who and what I am.” __

_~*******************************~_

_Tseng started collecting these letters as months went by.  I never saw who they were from or who they were addressed to.  My arm healed up and everything was pretty standard for a while.  We had our tight little circle in the organization and the power struggle between Rufus and his old man kept spiking.  We celebrated birthdays and we got closer to each other.  It’s funny, we never said we loved each other but it was pretty much a given by the time my twenty-second birthday came around._

_Tseng kept collecting those damned letters and he kept them in some kind of lockbox in his office and made me swear I wouldn’t tell anyone about them (I only knew about it because I came in unannounced one day and saw some of ‘em on his desk).  We tried to dig up information about Zack Fair and what happened to him after they moved him to the mansion that day but the SOLDIER records were tighter than a virgin ass and we couldn’t get the clearance.  Not even Rufus could find anything out.  If Zack was still alive in there, Hojo had total autonomy and the only way we’d get any information would be if one of us snuck in there again—which Tseng forbade us from doing.  As if I’d try to break into that place again after what happened the first time, yo._

_Anyhow, time flew by and nothing else was heard or found about Genesis and that Hollander dude.  We kept investigating but we never found anything.  We never learned anything about Zack or that kid that was with him, either.  Then one day some five years later, we got a report that some of Hojo’s specimens escaped from the ShinRa mansion basement in Nibelheim.  Tseng pulled up the files and guess who those specimens were?  Our missing boys, Fair and Strife.  I remembered what Zack looked like but I never met the blonde guy that was with him before, so all I had to go by was a small picture on his file.  I remembered the eyes, most of all.  Even though the photo was small and a little blurry, his eyes stood out.  I’d never seen such blue fucking eyes before, man._

_That was when a selection of us were given special orders from Tseng.  “Find them and bring them back alive,” he said.  SOLDIER and the ShinRa army were out to hunt ‘em down like dogs because they knew too much, but our job was to try and get to ‘em first.  I remembered Tseng hinting that we weren’t supposed to get involved until he said so and I remembered thinking he was up to something._

 

_~********************************~_

_-To be continued_


	15. Chapter 15

“Thanks for the Memories”

A Reno fan fiction

Chapter 15: “Search and loss”

~*******************************************~

*Disclaimer:  The world that this story is set in and all characters therein belong to Square-Enix.  This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can’t get enough of this world and the characters.* 

~***********************************************~

 

            _Things got depressing real fast.  Rude and I were on the search team and we flew all over the Midgar and surrounding areas trying to find those guys.  I was pretty damned frustrated and I tried to play it off like I was just irritated that we were stuck looking for a couple of needles in a huge haystack, but Rude saw right through it._

~*************************************~

 

            “You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Reno complained as he scanned the ground and steered the chopper.  “Do they really think we’re going to be able to find these guys?  We’re talking an ex-First and…well…I guess the kid that’s with him is just dragging him down, since they said he was basically a vegetable.”

 

            Rude shrugged.  “That’s why we’ve got a better chance of finding them, Red.  The kid’s going to slow Fair down and there’s no mission that’s impossible for the—“

 

            “Yeah, yeah,” Reno interrupted with a sarcastic look.  “The Turks.  But hell, you remember how Zack was.  The man could improvise like nobody I ever met.”

 

            Rude reached out and patted the redhead’s arm.  “We’ll find ‘em, partner.  We’ve got to.  Tseng has something for him, anyway.”

 

            “Who?” Reno frowned at the bald man.  “The target?  Fair?  What the hell, man…are you saying we’re out here trying to save these suckers’ asses just so Tseng can give Zack a package?”

 

            Rude grimaced.  “You know there’s more to it than that.  You’re sweating, Red.”

 

            “Well, it’s fucking hot,” Reno snapped.

 

            They were interrupted by Cissnei’s voice over the transmission.  “Reno, Rude…do you have anything yet?”

 

            Reno moved his mic over his mouth.  “We’ve got nothing.  Where are you at, doll?”

 

            She gave her coordinates and suggested they move on to a different location.  “We’re on it,” Reno sighed before ending the transmission.  He looked at his partner and shook his head.  “You know we’re gonna be too late, right?”

 

            Rude frowned at him.  “Don’t think like that.  We’ve got a job to do and we’ll do it.”

 

            Reno forced a smile and he shrugged.  “You’re right.  We’ll get to ‘em.”

 

~*****************************~

 

            Over an hour later, they were flying back towards the city when they finally spotted Zack.  Unfortunately, the reason they spotted him in the first place was because what looked like the entire ShinRa army was spread out amongst the cliffs surrounding the Midgar area.

 

            “Holy shit!”  Reno exclaimed as he circled the helicopter around and assessed the situation.  Zack was standing alone, facing the horde of militia.

 

            “Looks like a couple of the other search teams are here, too,” Rude said, pointing off to the East.

 

            Reno looked and saw two other helicopters.  Not enough by a long shot to do anything to help Zack.  Hell, they weren’t even supposed to BE on this retrieval mission and if the Turks tried to intervene now, he had no doubt the President would declare them traitors and have them all gunned down.

 

            “Overkill, man…overkill.”  Reno shook his head as he tried to count the vast army below.

 

            “They don’t want to take any chances,” Rude guessed, “and you’ve seen how good Fair is in a fight.  Hell, he might even win.”

 

            Reno gave him an exasperated look.  “You really are an optimist, partner.  Face it, the target’s a dead man.  I just wonder what happened to his blue-eyed friend.”

 

            Tseng’s voice crackled over the comm. Unit.  “Reno, Rude.”

 

            “Yeah, boss.”  Reno answered.

 

            “Cissnei’s reported that she found the target, but there are…complications.”

 

            Reno exchanged a grim look with Rude.  “You got that right.  We’re on the site too.  ShinRa sent the whole damned army after these guys.  I don’t know what we can do for ‘em, man.”

 

            Tseng was silent for a moment.  “We can’t intervene,” he finally said in a heavy voice.  “Just remain in the area now.  There is a chance, however slim, that Zack may prevail.  If he should happen to do so, you’re to retrieve him and his companion.  Otherwise…give him a proper burial.  I doubt the army intends to give him even that small courtesy.”

 

            Reno rubbed his eyes and nodded.  “You got it, Sir.  Over.”

 

            Rude noticed his companion wiping his eyes and he looked at him in concern. 

 

            _~He’s trying to hide it but this is shaking him up.  Hell, it’s shaking me up too.  My throat feels like it’s trying to close up.~_

            They hovered in place near the two other Shinra helicopters, watching and waiting to see what would happen.  Zack stood before his opposition for a moment and then he abruptly shouted something and charged, with his buster sword drawn.  The army opened fire on him and he dodged and deflected bullets with his bulky sword.  Reno and Rude stared in stupefied amazement as he charged into the ranks and began cutting down militia two, sometimes three at a time.

 

            “Damn, he might live though this after all,” Reno said with wide eyes.  For a few moments, he really believed that the black-haired fighter might win the encounter, but Zack was showing signs of weakness before long.  There was no telling what was done to him while he was under Hojo’s control and Reno saw the signs of fatigue setting in.  Fair’s determination gave him more energy than a man in his condition should have and he pressed on, cutting soldiers down left and right.  He took more than one bullet in the process and Rude looked away when he began to stagger.

 

            “Yo, switch to the Shinra army’s frequency so we can hear what’s going on behind the scenes,” Reno said.  Rude did as he asked but there were no transmissions coming through so far.

 

            After several more moments of desperate fighting, Zackary Fair finally fell to his knees.  A transmission came through over the comm. Unit and the two witnessing Turks listened.

 

            “Target’s going down but not destroyed yet.  Orders?”

 

            There was a crackle before the familiar voice of the President answered: “Withdraw the bulk of your forces.  Leave a handful of your most competent marksmen to finish the job before reporting back to Headquarters.  Send orders to Tseng to have his Turks withdraw as well and send a cleanup crew to deal with the bodies.  The fugitive’s body is to be returned to the lab for study.” 

 

            Reno and Rude frowned at each other as what was left of the Shinra army dispersed and began to board the transport vehicles that had carried them there.  Three were left behind to finish the job on Zackary, who was struggling back to his feet against all odds.

 

            “This ain’t right,” Reno muttered through his teeth, feeling unwelcome emotions boiling to the surface.  He didn’t even realize he’d started the chopper forward at a steep descent and had flipped up the air strike control panel.  Rude put a large hand over his and shook his head.

 

            “We can’t do anything, partner,” Rude said, trying to ease Reno’s hand away from the artillery button and keep him from making a mistake that would make them fugitives as well.  Zack was a dead man and there was nothing they could do about it.  He wasn’t about to let his partner martyr himself and neither would he testify against him to save his own ass from the President’s judgment.  He felt the redhead’s hand tremble beneath his and he squeezed it.  “Pull up, Red.  We’re too low.”

 

            Reno wasn’t sure what he’d been intending to do—open fire on the remaining Shinra soldiers or open fire on Zack to end it faster for him?  He allowed his partner to pull his hand away from the weapon panel but it took him a moment longer to pull up.  For a couple of wild seconds, he thought of having Rude toss a cable out of the cargo doors and shout at Zack to grab hold.

 

            “Reno, you’re too close, man!” Rude shouted as the chopper passed so low over the three grunts advancing on Zack’s fallen form that the wind from it made them stagger.

 

            The redhead snapped out of it and pulled back on the stick, forcing the helicopter to climb again and putting them back out of the danger of crashing.  He spun the chopper around and hovered, unable to tear his eyes off of the scene on the cliff.  Zack was lying on the ground now, and the lead soldier grunt approached and took aim.  Reno and Rude both averted their eyes and winced as the weapon fired, though they couldn’t hear the shot over the sound of the rotors.

 

            “Target neutralized.  We’re searching the area for the other fugitive,” came the voice of one of the executioners over the radio.

 

            Reno shut his eyes and cursed.  His guess was that the blonde guy Zack escaped with was in no condition to put up a fight…otherwise he surely would have been at his friend’s side, fighting with him.  He made himself look through the cockpit window and down at the scene of death below.  Zack lay unmoving with a pool of blood slowly spreading beneath him.  The bodies of the soldiers he’d taken down lay scattered around him and the three grunts that finished him off were searching the surrounding jags of cliff. 

 

            “I hope if the other guy’s there, they don’t find him,” Reno muttered, swallowing hard past the lump in his throat.

 

            “Yeah,” Rude agreed in a slightly husky voice.  The bald man’s jaw was tense as he too looked down at the scene they hovered over.  “We should probably switch to our own channel again.  The President wanted orders sent out for the Turks to withdraw.”

 

            “Just a minute,” Reno said as he rubbed his eyes again, “I wanna hear if they find anything in those rocks.”

 

            Rude nodded, silently agreeing with him.  “You okay?”

 

            “Yeah, I just got some dirt in my eye or something,” Reno answered stubbornly.  To his credit, if there were any tears welling in his eyes he was wiping them away before they were obvious.  His nose was a little red though, so his slight-of-hand abilities only went so far to conceal his grief.

 

            The other two helicopters departed but Reno stubbornly remained hovering while he and his partner waited to hear confirmation about the other refugee.  After a few more tense moments, they were dubiously rewarded.

 

            “We’ve located the secondary target,” one of the grunts reported, “but he’s already as good as dead, Sir.  He can’t even raise his head, let alone talk.  The earlier reports were right…he’s a vegetable.  It’s a bad case of Mako poisoning.”

 

            Reno exchanged another grim look with Rude, wondering if there would be a mercy killing or if Strife would end up loaded onto transport and brought back to Hojo for further experiments.  It took a while for the President to respond—possibly because he was conversing with Hojo on the matter.

 

            “Leave him for the carrion.  He’s no use to us and if he can’t move or speak, he isn’t a threat.  Return to your transport.”

 

            Reno didn’t even wait to hear the reply from the soldier grunt.  He angrily twisted the frequency knob back to his organization’s channel and listened to the other search parties relaying messages.

 

            _~The bastard can’t even spare the expense of a bullet to put the kid out of his misery.  The day Old Man Shinra dies and Rufus takes over, we’ve got to have a motherfucking parade and a whole week of partying!~_

 

            “Mission failed,” Cissnei’s trembling voice said over the radio,  “Turk teams are returning to Headquarters.”

 

            Rude sighed.  “I guess we should do the same.  Those grunts down there are staring at us and we look pretty suspicious, hanging around like this.”

 

            Reluctantly, Reno nodded and started to turn the chopper to navigate back to the city.  Before he could finish the action, the secure channel for his helicopter crackled and Tseng’s voice spoke.

 

            “Reno, Rude, do you copy?”

 

            “Loud and clear, boss,” Reno said in a heavy voice.  “Don’t worry, we’re heading back as ordered.  We just stayed until we were sure we couldn’t do what you ordered.”

 

            “Actually, I have different orders for the two of you and Cissnei’s team.  I want you to make it appear as if you’re leaving but circle back and return to give Fair a proper burial, before the cleanup crew arrives to take his body to be desecrated by Hojo.  You probably can’t lay him to rest where he fell because they’ll simply excavate him from the ground when they see the fresh grave, so take him to a different location—near Kalm, perhaps.  Retrieve Strife, as well.  I’ve made arrangements in Mideel for his extended care.  I’ve set up the pretext of sending you all on an unrelated mission, so as not to arouse suspicion.”

 

            Reno relaxed a little, feeling a surge of gratitude and admiration for Tseng.  “Right away, Sir.”  He almost thanked him but he thought better of it.  Tseng had always been fond of Zack Fair and it was his own feelings and his sense of honor that guided his decisions now.  Thanking him for doing something he obviously thought was right would be pointless.

 

~*******************************~

 

            They had to make a convincing show of leaving, so they made a wide circle around the borders of Midgar city before coming back.  It took around forty-five minutes and they returned to the site of the battle before Cissnei’s team.  They didn’t have much time to work before the cleanup team arrived, so Reno landed the chopper as quickly as he could and they hurried to the nearby scene.  As they approached Zack’s still body, Reno pulled out his pack of cloves and selected one, pausing to light it up. 

 

            “For once, I’m glad you’re smoking one of those,” Rude said as he wrinkled his nose.  He didn’t say it out loud out of respect for the dead, but the bodies were already starting to smell and the cigarette smoke helped to mask it.

 

            They stopped at Zack’s body, looking down at him.  The ground was still damp from the rain shower that had just died to a sprinkle.  Most of the blood on the ground had been washed away during the time they were circling back, but some still seeped sluggishly from the wounds of the deceased.  Zack’s raven hair was matted with blood and dirt.  His pale lips were parted and his eyes were closed.  There were several bullet holes in his clothing and one in his forehead.  Reno looked away from it and took a deep drag on his cigarette. 

 

            “Sucks, man.  He was an interesting guy…really decent.”  He sniffed and turned his head away from Rude, wiping his eyes again.

 

            “We should look for his friend,” Rude said with a glance around.  “the kid’s got to be nearby.  Funny thing though…where’s Zack’s sword?”

 

            Reno looked at the body and then scanned the ground around it.  There was no sign of the Buster Sword.  “Dunno, man.  My guess is someone came along while we were away and snatched it.”

 

            They heard an approaching helicopter and they scanned the skies together, searching for the source.  Cissnei’s chopper crested the rise to the south and eased down near Reno’s.  They waited as she and two other Turks they didn’t know very well emerged from the aircraft and approached, bringing a body bag with them.  She hurried over and looked down at Zack’s body with wide brown eyes. 

 

            “We…were supposed to save him,” she said, her slight frame trembling and her small fists clenched at her side.  “Tseng specifically told me to help him when I boarded the chopper…I can’t believe…we were too late.”

 

            Reno sensed the emotions boiling beneath the surface in the girl and he reached out and pulled her to his chest.  “Don’t look,” he murmured as he felt how badly she was shaking.  He tossed his cigarette away and stroked her hair, muffling the sobs she was trying so hard to control against his chest.  He looked at Rude and jerked his chin in the direction he thought Strife might be.  The bald man nodded and went to search the nearby cliff walls and crevices while the other Turks hurried over with the body bag.

 

            While Rude searched for Strife, Reno comforted Cissnei and the other Turks started rolling out the body bag to put Zack in.  One of them hollered a startled curse and Reno turned to see what the matter was.  He nearly yelled as well when he saw what was happening.  There were phantasmal tendrils of green energy snaking up from the earth and swirling around Zack’s body.  Cissnei pulled away from Reno and stared as well, putting a hand to her gasping mouth.

 

            “What the hell’s going on?” Reno shouted. 

 

            “No idea!” One of the other Turks gasped.

 

            Reno yanked his phone out of his blazer and looked away from the spectacle long enough to select Tseng’s number and hit the button to dial it.  He didn’t waste time on formal greetings when Tseng answered his phone.  “Hey boss, something really weird is happening to Zack.”

 

            “What do you mean?” Tseng questioned.

 

            “Well, there’s this green light coming out of the ground and its wrapping all around him like some kind of vines or something,” Reno explained in a rush.  One of Zack’s hands faded out of existence before his eyes and he nearly dropped the phone.  “Uh…okay…now he’s like…disappearing or something.  What the hell…is this some new thing ShinRa’s come up with for getting rid of bodies or does it have to do with the experiments Hojo did on him?”

 

            Tseng paused thoughtfully for a moment before answering.  “Get a picture of it on your cell and send it to me.”

 

            Reno took a couple of snapshots, his eyes round in his face as more and more of Zack faded out of existence.  “Okay boss, I’ve got to hang up with you to send ‘em.”

 

            “I’ll call you back when I’ve seen them.  I have a feeling I know what’s going on, but I can’t be certain until I see it.” 

 

“Okay, Sir.  Talk to you in a few.”  Reno cut the connection and sent the pictures to Tseng’s cellphone.  He tapped his foot nervously as he waited for the Director to call him back.  It only took a minute and Reno put the phone to his ear quickly.  “Well?  What do you think it is?” He asked anxiously before Tseng could even say anything.

 

“It seems the planet doesn’t want Hojo to get his hands on Zack’s body any more than we do,” Tseng answered with a touch of awe in his voice.  “What you’re witnessing is Gaia reclaiming not only Zack’s spirit, but his body as well.  It’s Lifestream, Reno.  I’ve seen it before, but only once.  Usually the Lifestream only claims the spirit of a deceased individual, returning it to the planet and eternal peace.  It has no use for dead flesh and usually leaves it behind to nourish other living things.”

 

Reno furrowed his brow.  “Are you telling me the planet’s eating Zack?”

 

“No,” Tseng responded in a soothing voice, “It isn’t ‘eating’ him, Reno.  It’s taking him out of our realm and into the next, where he belongs, now.  He’ll join his ancestors and all of his deceased loved ones, there.  Do you understand?”

 

Reno watched the rest of Zack’s body vanish under the caress of Lifestream and he swallowed.  “I guess, but why is it absorbing his body?”

 

“I can’t claim to know exactly but as I said before, I believe the planet doesn’t want Hojo using Zack’s remains for his devices.  I’m certain that Gaia doesn’t approve of all of the things he’s done…or the things our Company has done, for that matter.”

 

Reno shook his head.  “So the planet’s aware?  Like we are?”

 

“In a manner of speaking, yes,” Tseng answered.  “Now isn’t the time for spiritual lessons, though.  All you need to do now is find Cloud Strife and take him to Mideel.  The Lifestream is taking care of the matter of Zack’s remains for us.”

 

“Okay, boss,” Reno sighed, blinking as Zack vanished completely and the green light faded.  “Rude’s looking for him now…” Reno looked around for his partner and jumped a little when he found the bald man standing right beside him.  Rude was staring at the spot where Zack laid a moment ago, standing as still as a statue. 

 

“Uh, Rude?” Reno said, waving a hand over the bigger man’s eyes.  “Yo, did you find Strife or not?  I’ve got Tseng on the phone here and we’re gonna have to motor soon.”

 

Rude came out of his trance and looked at the redhead.  “The other fugitive is nowhere to be seen.  It’s like he vanished, too.”

 

“Maybe he died before we could get here and the same thing happened to him that happened to Zack?” Cissnei suggested as she dabbed her eyes.

 

Tseng heard the conversation.  “You can’t locate him?”

 

Reno started to answer but then his sharp eyes noticed something near where Zack’s body vanished.  “Hold on a sec,” he said as he stepped closer.  It was faint due to the rain washing most of it away, but there were tracks.  They appeared to be moving away from the spot and there was a shallow line gouged in the earth next to them, as if something had been dragged.  Reno followed the tracks slowly, examining them carefully as he moved.  He stopped and raised his eyes, visually following the tracks as they meandered down a trail leading to the flats around Midgar.

 

Then he spotted him:  A tiny figure in the distance, trudging along in a manner that screamed exhaustion.  He was dragging something behind him and Reno narrowed his eyes as the object glinted in the light.

 

“I’ve found our missing blonde,” Reno said into the cell while he motioned the others to join him on the edge of the cliff.  “He gets around pretty damned good for a vegetable.  He’s dragging his ass and Zack’s sword straight to the city.”

 

The others stared at the distant figure.  “Are we going after him?” Rude questioned.

 

“Tseng, it’s your call,” Reno said, “Do we go after him or leave him alone?”

 

Tseng didn’t answer right away.  He was silent for a couple of moments, probably trying to decide what to do.  “You say he’s walking on his own and dragging Zackary’s sword?”  He sounded slightly amazed.  “I’ve never heard of anyone with Mako poisoning as severe as his getting up and walking away.”

 

Reno shrugged.  “Yeah, he’s making pretty good time, too.  Must be a pretty tough kid.”

 

Tseng sighed.  “Leave him.  As far as the Company is concerned, he’s dead and if he’s up and moving around then there’s no point in taking him to Mideel for specialist care.  We can try to keep an eye on him once he reaches the city but for now I want you and the others to leave the site of the battle and return here.  The Company cleanup crew is on their way and when they find Zack’s body gone, there will be inquiries.  I don’t want them seeing you on the scene.”

 

“Right,” answered Reno, “We’ll move it out now.  See you at Headquarters.”

 

~********************************~

 

            _Yo, I’ve seen some pretty strange things in my life but watching Zack Fair’s body dissolve like that ranks up there as one of the strangest.  Even so, it made me feel a little better to watch the planet take him back.  It was like a weight lifting from my shoulders.  Rude seemed more relaxed, too.  Cissnei took it hardest of all, though.  I think she had a bigger crush on him than she even knew, man.  She was like a zombie for days after that and Tseng finally gave her time off to grieve.  She ended up going to Gognaga where Zack was born and spending time with his parents, but I don’t know if she told them what happened to him or not._

_We had people on the lookout for the blonde guy but we didn’t find him right away.  Tseng still had Aerith under watch and he told me he was afraid we’d have to bring her into HQ soon, ‘cause that freak Hojo was ranting about failed experiments and he and the Pres were having heads together about some business with the Promised Land.  It sounded more and more like they wanted the last ‘Ancient’ for more experiments.  Tseng didn’t look happy about it when he talked to me and who could blame him?  It was pretty obvious he was attached to the chick._

_A few months later we had to put a few things on hold—including looking for Strife—because someone blew up the Sector one Mako reactor.  Now how do you like that?  Reports said it was some terrorist group called AVALANCHE and Old Man Shinra was major pissed.  Rufus was sent to Junon and we were ordered to help with the investigation and track down the bombers._

_AVALANCHE hit the Sector five reactor next but President Shinra was expecting them that time.  He went there himself with some troops and a mechanized attack unit but they got away.  I was checking in on Aerith when this all happened and that’s when I met a familiar face in person for the first time._

~************************************~

 

-To be continued


	16. Chapter 16

“Thanks for the Memories”

A Reno fan fiction

Chapter 16: “A good Turk follows orders”

~*******************************************~

*Disclaimer:  The world that this story is set in and all characters therein belong to Square-Enix.  This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can’t get enough of this world and the characters.* 

~***********************************************~

 

I didn’t recognize Aerith’s friend right away.  It had been a few months since Zack died…almost a year, in fact.  The reports didn’t have good pictures of him and his buddy and the President kept us Turks so busy trying to track down AVALANCHE that I never had time to think about the guy that got away—until the day I was assigned to get Aerith and bring her back to HQ.

 

~*****************************~

 

            Reno sensed a difference in the atmosphere of the church as soon as he stepped through the doors.  The ShinRa grunts that accompanied him were right behind him and when he walked far enough down the isle to spot Aerith and the flowerbed, he held out his hand in a commanding gesture for the grunts to stop.  There was a young man with Aerith.  From his point of view, all Reno could see was that he had blond hair that was fashioned so that the back was above the collar and the top was long and styled into feathered spikes.  He frowned and stared at the stranger, thinking there was something familiar about him.

 

            Aerith looked up and noticed him.  The young Cetra sighed heavily and shook her head with patient exasperation, used to being spied on by the Turks but nonetheless irritated with it.  The blonde guy with her noticed her change of focus and he turned to follow her gaze, presenting Reno with a full view of his face.  Reno felt a thrill of recognition but he couldn’t quite place where it came from.  Blondie approached slowly, reaching up and behind to grasp the hilt of a sword strapped to his back.  Aerith stood up and clasped her hands together nervously, looking between her new friend and Reno uncertainly.

 

            “Who are you?” The blonde asked evenly, staring at Reno with unwavering eyes as bright and blue as the ocean.  He had youthful, fine-sculpted features that bordered on being pretty and while he wasn’t heavily built or particularly tall, he had an athletic frame.  The tight, sleeveless blue sweater he wore with the cargo pants and combat boots molded to his torso, revealing that his compact muscles were toned and powerful even if they weren’t thick like Rude’s.  He was built a little heavier than Reno but not by much.

 

            _~Hmmm…nice body.  I know those eyes, too.  Where do I know those eyes from?~_

 

            “Reno, of the Turks,” answered the redhead with an intrigued, blue-green stare.  “Who’s asking, yo?”

 

            The blonde gave him a hard little smirk.  “Nobody important.  I used to be—”  He stopped suddenly and clutched his head with a groan, making Reno frown suspiciously at him.

 

            “Hey sis, this one’s a little weird,” one of the grunts muttered.

 

            “Tell me about it,” the female private beside him responded.

 

            Reno looked over his shoulder at the siblings.  “Shaddup.”  He turned his attention back to the blonde guy and glanced briefly at Aerith.  The blonde recovered from his odd, sudden headache and he noticed Reno’s glance at the Cetra. 

 

            “I don’t know what you want with Aerith, but you’ll have to go through me to get to her,” Blondie growled.

 

            “Don’t fight in here!” Aerith called out, “You’ll ruin the flowers!”

 

            The blonde looked over his shoulder at her and she gestured for him to come with her as she started toward the back of the church, where there were doors on either side.  He shot one more warning, blue glare at Reno and the grunts before following her.  Reno got a look at the sword strapped to his back and he recognized it.  He started forward slowly, not paying attention to where he was stepping as he watched Aerith and her friend go through the back doors.

 

            “Mako eyes,” he whispered, “and a really huge fucking sword.  Coincidence?”  He thought back to the day he and the other search teams had arrived too late to help Zack Fair and he remembered spotting the First’s blonde friend far in the distance, dragging Zack’s buster sword as he stumbled toward Midgar.  Could the blonde have recovered this much in such a short time, to exude so much strength and confidence?

 

            _~Well, I guess if he could go from being catatonic from Mako poisoning to walking on his own in a half hour, it’s not impossible.  It’s been a few months.  I’m gonna have to look up those files again and be sure this guy’s who I think he is and not just some random dude that snagged the sword.~_

 

            There was little doubt in Reno’s mind, though.  While he’d never gotten a good look at Cloud Strife’s face before, he remembered the eyes and he’d never seen a color and intensity like that before.  What were the chances that some other guy with the same hair and eye color just happened to get his hands on that buster sword?

 

            “Hey Reno, you’re stepping on the flowers!” The female grunt warned.

 

            “You’re gonna get in trouble,” her brother snickered.

 

            Reno rolled his eyes.  ~Grunts,~ he thought in derision.  “Go after them.”  He beckoned them impatiently.  “Oh and uh, watch out for the flowers.”

 

            “But you just stepped—“

 

            “You’re here to help bring the girl in, not be a smartass,” Reno snapped.  “Now go after them!”

 

            Sufficiently cowed, the grunts hurried to do what he asked.  Reno stood unmoving for a moment, staring at the flowers blankly as he turned things over in his mind.  He sighed and moved to follow the grunts.  He could confirm his suspicions later, after he finished his job.

 

            When Reno passed through the doorway and joined the grunts, he looked up to see that Aerith and her friend-that-could-be-Strife were climbing the rotting stairs leading up to the bell tower.  He was about to order his companions to follow but they took matters into their own hands before he could say anything.

 

            “Don’t let the Ancient get away!” One of them shouted, and they opened fire on the retreating couple.

 

            Reno’s heart went into his throat.  They were armed with tranquilizer guns but Aerith was at least two floors up and if they hit her with one of those darts and she fell, she could break her neck.  Not only would Tseng have his ass in a sling, but the President would probably order he and the grunts executed for killing the last surviving Cetra. 

 

            “Hold your fire!” Reno hollered, trying to be heard over the gunfire.

 

            Aerith tripped in her panic and she tumbled down the flight of stairs she was on.

 

            “I SAID HOLD YOUR GODDAMNED FIRE!!” Reno shouted at the top of his voice, grabbing one of the grunts by the straps of his body armor and punching him in the face hard enough to knock him out cold.  They stopped and cringed while Reno looked at Aerith anxiously, hoping against hope she wasn’t hurt. 

 

Her blonde friend had stopped climbing the stairs and was peering over the railing with worried sapphire eyes.  He shouted her name desperately and she groaned and got to her feet, appearing shaken and a little sore but otherwise unharmed.  Reno blew a sigh of relief and motioned for the grunts to pursue her. 

 

“No more shooting, assholes,” Reno growled as they moved to obey.

 

Aerith recovered and looked up at the advancing grunts.  “Cloud, help!” She cried.

 

Reno looked sharply up at the watching blonde at the sound of his name.  _~So it IS him…it’s got to be!~_

 

“Hold on a sec!” Cloud hollered, and he ran further up the stairs to the beams crossing the ceiling.

 

Reno was puzzled.  ~What the hell…is he abandoning her or what?~

 

He got his answer when an old barrel came crashing down the stairs just ahead of the first pursuing grunt.  He tried to avoid it but it knocked him off his feet and took him out of the chase.  Aerith yelled her thanks to the blonde and continued up the stairs, with the remaining two conscious grunts following behind her. Another barrel crashed down, right on the closest one’s head.  Reno swore and started forward, certain that if he didn’t join in the chase the girl would get away.

 

~Or maybe that’s what I really want to happen?  I was sent to make sure they didn’t screw up but I could have helped earlier and we might have her right now if I’d have done more than shout orders.~

 

Another barrel tumbled down and took out the last grunt, giving Aerith time to climb up the remaining flights of stairs and join her waiting friend.  Reno swore again as the two of them made it safely out the hole in the roof.  He had cadets lying unconscious all around him and given how spry Blondie was, by the time the redhead could follow him and Aerith out they’d be long gone.  With a heavy sigh, the Turk pulled out his cellphone and flipped it up.

 

“Yo Tseng, it’s Reno.  The target got away, man.  She had help.”  He thought of telling his superior who had helped Aerith but he wanted to be positively certain it wasn’t just a crazy coincidence, first.  Part of him was in denial and he wasn’t sure why.  If he’d taken time to examine his feelings, he would have realized he was trying to deny it because he didn’t feel right about being in opposition to Zack’s friend.  The kid had been through more than enough and while Reno was good at his job, he hadn’t quite mastered the art of separating his feelings from his job, yet.

 

“I see,” Tseng answered calmly.  “Return to Headquarters so that you and the cadets can give your reports.  I’d like to know what happened.”

 

“On our way.  At least, as soon as these guys get back to their feet.”  Reno hung up and shook his head, telling himself he wasn’t relieved that Aerith and her friend had gotten away.

 

~**********************************~

 

            _I know, it sounds like I was thick-headed with the whole Strife thing.  I guess I just didn’t want to believe it was the same guy.  I didn’t go straight to Tseng’s office when I got back to Headquarters—instead I went to mine and looked up the file on Cloud Strife as fast as I could.  It had him listed as deceased but I knew that was wrong before I even saw him in the church.  I zoomed and enhanced the crappy picture of him as much as I could and when I did, I couldn’t deny it anymore.  Aerith’s “bodyguard” was Cloud Strife, all right._

I sat there for a little while and tried to decide what to say to Tseng.  Rufus knew about Zack’s execution and he knew his friend got away, but otherwise he stayed out of the whole thing because he was too busy dealing with things in Junon to worry about it.  He knew the Turks went on a separate mission to rescue Fair and Strife because he and Tseng always talked things over.  Yeah, Rufus was part of the Turks’ little behind-the-scenes mutiny. 

_As you know by now, the power struggle between him and his old man had been going on for years and it was only getting worse.  He had a totally different vision of ShinRa and he gave Tseng autonomy to act in the best interests of that vision.  His only thing was that it had to be covert.  If we ever got caught going against President Shinra’s orders there wasn’t a single one of us that would ever give away that Rufus was involved.  The Turks still had to answer to the President but we really belonged to his son._

_When I went to Tseng’s office the grunts were already there and they looked pretty scared.  Not surprising, since Heidegger was there too and he was glaring at ‘em.  He glared at me when I came in and I just glared right back.  I didn’t owe any more respect for that mangy fucker than I had to give.  Tseng scolded me for being late but by then, we could sort of communicate without talking when we were face to face.  He knew there was a good reason for me being late by the look in my eyes._

_We gave our report and those damned grunts tried to make me the pigeon, saying I didn’t do anything to help.  Technically I guess that was at least a little true but I hit ‘em back and reported that I was too busy stopping them from killing Aerith to do much else.  They got suspended for three weeks and all I got was a slap on the wrist for being late, so ha-fucking-ha on them.  I had to mention that Aerith had an accomplice and the grunts gave his name, but Heidegger didn’t seem to recognize it.  Tseng did, though.  He glanced at me and I could see the questions in his eyes.  Tseng ordered me to stick around after the debriefing and when we were alone in his office, he started asking questions, yo._

 

~********************************~

 

            Tseng stood straight and dignified before his desk, studying Reno curiously.  “They said that Aerith addressed the man who was helping her as ‘Cloud’.  Is that why you gave me the look when you came in, Reno?  Was her bodyguard’s name mere coincidence or was he our missing fugitive?”

 

            “The second guess.”  Reno crossed his arms over his chest and the EMR dangling from his right wrist bumped against his hip.  “I was late because I was checking Strife’s old files to be sure.  There’s no doubt about it—he’s our missing blonde and he still had Zack’s sword with him.”

 

            Tseng almost smiled.  “That’s good.  The only trouble is he may get in the way of our job, by the sounds of things.  The President wants Aerith brought in and it appears that Strife has appointed himself as her guardian.”

 

            “So I guess that means we’ll have to fight him if he gets in the way?” Reno said without his usual enthusiasm.

 

            Tseng recognized the tone of voice.  He’d heard it a few years ago when Reno talked about Zack.  He knew the redhead didn’t know Strife well enough yet to have formed an attachment to him but Reno did have a conscience.  Tseng was certain that he was feeling the same helpless guilt for what Cloud and Zack had gone through at the Company’s hand, even though the Turks and Rufus weren’t responsible for it. 

 

            The Wutaian closed the distance between himself and his second-in-command and he put his hands on Reno’s shoulders and looked him in the eye.  “I know it’s uncomfortable to think of a rivalry with him, given everything he’s suffered at the hands of our company.  We must remember to put our personal feelings aside when on the job, Reno.  Can you do that?”

 

            Reno shrugged.  “I’ve done it before and it’s not like I’ve got much choice.  Doesn’t mean I’ve gotta like it.”

 

            Tseng squeezed his shoulders.  “Of course.  Your thoughts and feelings are your own—it’s your loyalty that this organization wants.  Things will change for the better when Rufus is in charge.”

 

            “I can’t wait for that to happen,” Reno frowned. 

 

            “I know,” Tseng sighed.  “Until then, we’ll just have to weather the storm.”  He slipped a hand under Reno’s chin and drew closer to him, stealing a brief kiss.

 

~***************************************~

 

            _Things got worse before they got better.  AVALANCHE was a thorn in the President’s side and he was determined to crush ‘em…literally.  He called me into his office a week or so after Aerith got away and told me that Tseng went to “collect” her at her house in the slums.  Then he ordered me to set a bomb on the main support pillar of the plate section over sector seven._

_I couldn’t believe how far he was willing to go and it took everything I had to do my job.  I felt kind of numb while I was doing it, man.  I was about to flatten my old neighborhood.  I called everyone I knew that still lived there and told them to get the hell out.  I lied and told ‘em that AVALANCHE was making bomb threats, ‘cause that’s what the media was going to be saying when it was all over with.  I was kind of thankful that my old auto shop was in sector five, but the house I grew up in was about to get crushed along with all the other houses and shops in that area._

 

~*******************************************~

 

            Reno heard the gunfire beneath him as he set the timer on the bomb.  He hesitated with his finger hovering over the activation button, struggling inwardly with himself.

 

            _~I’m a Turk now.  This is just business.~_

 

            His finger remained in place.  No matter how much he told himself it was just a job, he kept imagining the destruction and the looks on the faces of the victims when the plate came crashing down. 

 

            _~AVALANCHE is on its way to try and stop me.  Maybe if I hold off they’ll get here in time and I can get out of this pickle by saying they stopped me before I could set the bomb off.~_

 

            His cellphone rang and he absently reached into his blazer for it.  “Reno here,” he said after flipping it open.

 

            “Reno, this is President Shinra,” said a familiar, hated voice.  “Have you got the bomb set up?”

 

            Reno swallowed and closed his eyes.  “Yes, Sir.”

 

            “Then activate it and get out of there.  I’m getting reports that the terrorists are fighting their way past the guards on the pillar and we can’t let them stop the explosion.  Tseng is on his way with the Cetra girl to pick you up in a helicopter.  He’ll be arriving soon.”

 

            “Yes, Sir.”  Reno turned off the phone and replaced it in his pocket.  He closed his eyes and pushed the activation button, wincing as it beeped and the digital numbers began to count down.  He heard the sound of a chopper approaching and he turned and scanned the city for the source.  He could see the ShinRa helicopter approaching from above sector six.

 

            “What the hell you think you’re doin’!” Shouted a rough, deep male voice from the stairs.  Reno turned and found himself facing a big black man, a curvy brunette woman and a familiar blonde guy.  He was a little surprised to find out that Strife was a member of the insurgent group but it made a certain amount of sense, given the grudge he probably had against ShinRa.

 

            “You’re too late,” Reno said in a tone that was almost accusing, “This pillar’s going down and the sector’s getting flattened like a pancake.”

 

            “We’re not letting that happen,” Cloud said with narrowed blue eyes, drawing his Buster Sword and advancing.

 

            Reno glanced over his shoulder at the approaching helicopter and shrugged as he readied his EMR and fell into a fighting stance.  “If you say so, Blondie.  Let’s make this quick, man.  I don’t have a lot of time to play.”

 

            Cloud’s eyes shifted to the electricity dancing on the rod in Reno’s hand and the redhead raised it.  “Wanna see how it works?”  Reno challenged.  Without waiting for a response, he leaped into the air and swung the weapon right at the surprised black man’s face.  The big guy went down with a groan as the electric charge on the weapon stunned him and made him temporarily lose muscle control. 

 

            “Bastard,” cried the brunette girl.  Reno saw stars as she kicked him in the head and he barely dodged Cloud’s swinging Buster sword. 

 

            “Just doing my job, toots,” Reno said in as casual a tone as he could muster.  “My turn to tag you.”

 

            He started to do just that but Cloud’s sword arched down in front of him before he could finish the move and Reno was forced to dodge aside.  Cloud reversed his stroke and the redhead went flying as he was struck in the ribs.  The sword was dull-edged and designed more for blocking and bludgeoning than slicing, so thankfully the blow didn’t open up his skin.  Instead, it cracked a couple of ribs.  Reno staggered to his feet and coughed, staring at the blonde warily as he closed the distance.

 

            “Shut the timer off,” Strife demanded as he advanced on the weakened Turk. 

 

            Reno shook his head.  “No can do, Blondie.  It’s rigged.”  The helicopter circled around the pillar and a ladder was dropped out the side of it.  The brunette girl tried to kick him again but Reno caught her with his EMR and she fell to the platform grid, twitching.  Cloud launched another attack and Reno barely rolled aside in time.  The blonde fighter meant business and the Turk was in no condition to keep it up.  Reno caught hold of the trailing ladder as the chopper made another pass and he weakly held on while the men inside pulled him and the ladder up.  Tseng stood at the open hatch and he helped haul Reno in.

 

            On the platform, the black man had regained his muscle control and was taking aim at the chopper with his gun-arm, while the brunette—who hadn’t gotten a full charge from the EMR—struggled to her feet and tried to disarm the bomb.  Tseng grabbed hold of Aerith, who was standing behind him.  He dragged her into view of the terrorist group below.

 

            “I wouldn’t shoot, unless you want to harm our special guest,” Tseng hollered over the sound of the rotaries.  “There’s no point in trying to disarm the bomb, either.  Any tampering will be more likely to set it off early than stop it.”

 

            The black man lowered his weapon with a scowl and Aerith leaned forward and shouted to him.  “Barret, she’s safe!  Get out now while you still can!”

 

            Tseng’s stress level finally reared its ugly head and he slapped the girl across the face before he was even aware of what he was doing.  He stared in shock as she fell to her knees and looked up at him with wounded green eyes. 

 

            “Pilot, take us out of here now,” Tseng said without taking his eyes off of the girl he’d come to care about against his will.  “We’re returning to Headquarters to give our report.”

 

            Reno groaned as he was buckled into a seat.  He looked down as the bomb began to go off and a sick feeling grew in his stomach and sat there like lead.  He saw the big man with the gun arm grab hold of a sturdy construction wire that was attached to the railing of the platform.  Cloud and the brunette girl with him both climbed onto the black man’s back and it was almost comical looking as the three of them clung to the wire.  Reno felt some small relief when he saw them swing off of the pillar platform and toward the next sector before the plate above began to give away.  With any luck, they’d make it out alive. 

 

            The pain in his ribs and the difficulty in breathing were making Reno start to pass out, but he heard the sounds of the plate section crashing into the sector and the screams of the innocent people before their lives were snuffed out.  After that, he lost consciousness and blessedly heard no more.

 

~***************************************~

 

            Reno woke up the next morning in an unfamiliar hospital room.  He blinked and shifted in the bed, wincing at the tightness in his torso.  He was shirtless and in a pair of hospital pants.  He reached down and found that his torso was neatly wrapped in a bandage.  There was no bone pain when he gingerly pressed on his ribs, which meant that the medical staff had used a cure materia on him to heal the fractures in the bones.  From his peripheral vision he spotted someone sitting on the chair beside his bed and he turned his head. 

 

            Rufus’ gray eyes met his.  “Welcome back, Reno.  How do you feel?” the VP asked in an uncharacteristically gentle tone.

 

            Reno shrugged.  “Headquarters?”

 

            Rufus was slightly puzzled at the one-word answer.  “No, you’re in Junon.  When I found out what happened I had you brought here so that you could recover in peace, without my father troubling you for information.”  He reached out and smoothed a few vivid strands of hair out of the Turk’s eyes.  “He never should have assigned you to a job like that, but knowing him it was on purpose…to test your loyalty to the company.”

 

            Reno grimaced and nodded, closing his eyes.  “Fat cats eat fire,” he muttered.

 

            Rufus frowned fiercely at him before looking up at the doctor, who had just entered the room to check on his recovery.  “I thought you said there was no head trauma,” the blonde accused.  “He’s making no sense.”

 

            The doctor also frowned and he looked at the Turk’s medical chart again.  “He took a minor blow to the head in his fight, but the tests we ran indicated no signs of trauma.”  He went to the other side of Reno’s bed and called his name.  When the redhead looked up at him, he asked; “Can you count to ten, Reno?”

 

            The Turk shrugged and counted, giving the man a look of faint annoyance.  The doctor was satisfied with that and he questioned; “Tell me your name and rank in the organization, please.”

 

            “Red,” answered the Turk, “Moogle in the Turks.”

 

            The doctor bit his lip and nodded, while Rufus stared at Reno with alarm.  “I see.  Rest now…I’d like to have a word with the Vice President.”  The doctor nodded at Rufus and walked out of the room.  Rufus followed and as soon as the door was shut behind them, the doctor gave his diagnosis of Reno’s odd, jumbled speech.

 

            “He’s suffering a condition commonly known as ‘Word Salad’, Mr. Vice President.” 

 

            Rufus peered back into the room through the little window on the door.  “’Word Salad’,” he repeated.  “Just what is that?”

 

            “It’s not harmful,” the doctor assured him, “It’s normally a symptom of post traumatic stress.  The mind can’t form coherent sentences because its struggling with a great burden.  The death of a loved one, severe guilt, too much stress, depression or a traumatizing experience are all things that can cause it.  It will go away eventually but I strongly recommend that you give the young man a vacation, so that he can recover at his own pace.”

 

            “So his mind is intact?” Rufus pressed, “There’s no actual damage?”

 

            “No,” the doctor assured him, “we’ll run more tests to be on the safe side, but I’m ninety-nine percent certain that his symptoms are from psychological scarring.  Can you tell me what he was doing before he arrived here?”

 

            Rufus stared at Reno through the glass, his eyes narrowing with anger at his father.  “It’s classified,” he said in a low voice, “but I can at least confirm that it was something stressful.  I want you to give him the best of care, doctor.”

 

            “Of course,” the doctor agreed, feeling a shiver go down his spine as those cold eyes met his.  “We’ll do everything in our power to help him recover as quickly as humanly possible.  In the meantime, please consider my suggestion and keep him off the job until he’s ready to come back, Sir.”

 

            Rufus nodded and went back into the room.  Reno watched him approach and sit down.  “I ain’t a rooster,” the redhead stated stubbornly.

 

            Rufus couldn’t suppress a soft chuckle, guessing that his subordinate didn’t want to be babied.  “Of course not,” he said.  “For now, your orders are to relax and concentrate on getting better.  No arguments.”

 

            Reno sighed, realizing now that everything he tried to say came out as a senseless jumble of words.  He stretched one palm out flat and made the motion of writing on it with his other hand, glancing up at his boss meaningfully.  “The cheese has rhythm,” he grumbled.

 

            Rufus was confused for a moment but he guessed what his lover was trying to say when he saw the motions he was making.  “You want a pad of paper and a pen to write with?” he questioned.

 

            Reno nodded, pressing his lips together with frustration at his mouth’s refusal to obey his mind’s commands.

 

            Rufus stroked the Turk’s bright hair.  “I’ll go and get them for you,” he promised before standing up and reaching for the TV remote.  “Why don’t you find something to watch while I go and do that?”

 

            Reno was embarrassed.  He gave Rufus an apologetic look for being so demanding as he took the remote.  He had no business bossing around the VP and he was surprised that Rufus was being so accommodating and patient with him.  He saw the warmth in his boss’s eyes that was normally so well-hidden and he knew that Rufus was showing his affection in the only way he could.

 

            “I don’t mind,” Rufus murmured.  He glanced at the door to make sure there was nobody watching from outside before bending down to kiss the redhead softly.  “You’ve paid for your loyalty to this company.  The least I can do is give you the items you’ve requested.”

 

            Reno gave him a sheepish grin as he left.  The redhead sighed and flicked on the television, intending to find a comedy or something to watch.  The tuner was already set to the morning news and Reno froze as a video of the ruined, burning sector was played on the screen behind the reporter.

 

            “The terrorist group AVALANCHE is being blamed for this latest destruction,” the reporter announced, “but there’s some speculation over whether a group that claims to be trying to oppose ShinRa control would resort to killing innocent civilians to do it.  Until now, AVALANCHE targeted Mako reactors and their actions never resulted in casualties.  The body count continues to rise as sector seven burns.  Reeve Tuesti, the head of the ShinRa Urban Development department, has sent in rescue workers to find any survivors and give them medical treatment—“

 

            Reno abruptly switched the TV off and turned his face into the pillow as his throat ached and his vision blurred.  He muffled the soft, choked sobs as well as he could and struggled to bring his guilt and emotions under control before Rufus returned.

 

            ~I’m sorry, Ma.  You’ve got a murderer for a son.~

 

~****************************************~

 

            _“Word Salad”, they called it.  Now ain’t that a bitch?  For a blabbermouth like me, it was torture.  Rude came the next day with Ma and they visited me for a few hours.  I had a feeling Ma didn’t really believe the story she was told that I had a minor concussion, but she never said it out loud and she just brought me some homemade soup and talked to me about happy things.  Rude was quiet as usual but he kept looking at me through those glasses.  He knew how bad I was hurting—I could tell._

_Rude took Ma back to Midgar that night and told me he had some work to do.  He couldn’t talk about it in front of her and he said he’d give me a call later to see how I was doing.  Rufus came back and signed my release papers after Ma and Rude left.  He took me to his hotel room and he’d already had some of my clothes brought from Midgar.  He said as soon as I was feeling better, we’d go home and I’d be on paid vacation until I was ready to go back to work.  He asked if there was anywhere I’d like to spend my vacation but I didn’t feel like I deserved anyplace nice._

            A couple of days later Rufus told me that AVALANCHE got caught trying to get Aerith out of Headquarters.  Man, those people had balls, I had to give ‘em credit.  Too bad for them though, ‘cause old man Shinra planned to have ‘em executed.  I told Rufus (or should I say I wrote to Rufus) that I was ready to come back to work but he didn’t believe me.  He said I could fly us both back to Midgar so I could get back into my routine a little but he wasn’t willing to put me on full duty yet.

_I took what I could get.  I didn’t know how to explain to him that getting back to my normal work would help keep me distracted.  I just did as I was told and we flew back to Midgar.  He fooled around with me a little on the way, which was nice because it made me feel like things were getting back to the way they should be.  Neither of us expected what came next, though._

 

~**************************************~

 

            Reno shifted restlessly in his seat as his boss massaged his crotch and kissed him deeply.  He was again thankful for the auto-pilot function and he whimpered against Rufus’ lips as the blonde’s touch brought him closer to orgasm.  He wondered if his boss was going to open his pants or just make him mess himself in them, but he was too afraid of what would come out of his mouth if he tried to ask him about it.  He sighed in relief when Rufus unzipped his fly and eased his throbbing, stiff sex out of his pants.  They were nearly to Midgar and the last thing he wanted to do was walk into headquarters with a wet spot on his trousers.

 

            “Mr. Vice President, do you copy?” came an unfamiliar voice over the radio. 

 

            Rufus grunted in annoyance and stopped petting Reno’s cock to adjust his headphone set.  “I copy,” he answered.  “What is it now?”

 

            “Your presence is required as soon as you arrive, Sir,” the man said nervously.  “It’s your father…he’s been killed.”

 

            Rufus and Reno shared a look of astonishment and the redhead hastily tucked himself back into his pants and zipped his fly back up while Rufus adjusted the mic again. 

 

            “Killed?  How?  By whom?” Rufus questioned.

 

            “Th-they’re saying it was Sephiroth.  The fugitives we captured broke out of their holding cells and they’re attempting to escape.  W-we tried to stop them but Jenova’s gotten out too and everything is in chaos!  Palmer swears he saw Sephiroth with his own two eyes and—” There was a note of hysteria climbing in the man’s voice and Rufus cut him off.

 

            “Calm down,” the blonde said firmly.  “I’ll arrive at Headquarters shortly.  Do what you can to retain the escaped criminals and locate Sephiroth and Jenova.  Keep your head.”

 

            “Keep my head!”  The man began to laugh shrilly, “Jenova doesn’t have a head and it’s moving on its own!”

 

            Rufus rolled his eyes.  “Either get a hold of yourself or find someone that can,” he snapped, “I’ve got no use for hysterical employees.  Find Heidegger and Scarlet and get them both on the job.  I expect some answers when I arrive.”

 

            “Y-yes sir,” the man on the other end answered in a slightly less hysterical tone.

 

            Rufus ended the transmission and stared blankly ahead.  “So, I suppose my ascension to the Presidency is complete now.  That was rather abrupt.”

 

            Reno wouldn’t have known what to say even if he’d been capable of coherent speech.  He couldn’t tell whether his boss was in shock or just being coldly pragmatic.  There was no love lost between he and his father but it had to affect him more than he let on to hear that the man had been murdered by a lunatic they’d thought dead for years. 

 

            “Have some dip?” Reno offered clumsily, his hesitant attempt to comfort the man turning into a snack offering.  He swore quite coherently and flushed as Rufus smirked at him.

 

            “An oddly appropriate offer, Fox.  I suspect we’ll be having plenty of dip and other party snacks, once we’ve brought everything under control again.”  Rufus patted the redhead on the arm.  “Don’t worry.  I’ve been preparing for this day for a very long time.  It’s only fitting that he came to a violent end.”

 

            Reno shivered at the casual cruelty in his lover’s voice.  He hadn’t expected Rufus to get broken up about the death of his father but it always took him by surprise how quickly the blonde could go from caring and passionate to being utterly cold.  Secretly, he’d always worried that one day Rufus would completely lose touch with his humanity and all that would remain would be the cool, tactical businessman. 

 

~********************************************~

 

            _When we got to Headquarters, Rufus ordered me to keep hovering over the roof while he took care of Cloud Strife, who’d run out onto the roof from inside the building when he saw us arrive.  I didn’t like it but the boss handled himself pretty well against Blondie, giving as good as he got until he had to back off and get back into the chopper with me.  Cloud took off to join his friends and we listened to the transmission as ShinRa and the Turks tried to stop ‘em._

_They got away.  To tell you the truth I was glad.  ShinRa sent a mechanical attack unit after them along with some grunts and I saw them racing down the highway with all those bikes in pursuit and that big clunky Motorball unit bringing up the rear.  I gotta tell ya, that Strife is a piece of work.  I saw him taking out our guys left and right while driving his stolen motorcycle like a pro.  I landed the chopper on the roof and the boss and I went into the building and found old man Shinra slouched over his desk, speared like a party H’orderve by a long, thin sword that was familiar to everyone._

_Palmer was useless.  The fatass kept babbling and blubbering until Rufus pimp-slapped him and told him to shut up and go home.  Scarlet, Heidegger and Reeve were more helpful and Hojo was major pissed that Cloud’s gang took off with Aerith and one of his other favorite specimens.  What got me was how he acted about Jenova going missing…I’d swear the man was happy about that._

_Rude and Tseng brought in a cleanup crew to get the mess taken care of and get the President ready for his funeral.  Rufus was calm the whole time and it helped keep everyone else calm too.  He gave orders like he’d always been in charge and nobody questioned him.  He talked to Hojo and told him he wanted to know everything that he’d been keeping from him and he told me to take a week off and get back to him when I was feeling more like myself.  Rude took me home and the last I heard of Cloud’s gang was that they broke the attack unit sent against ‘em and made it out of the city.  The Turks were sent to follow them and Sephiroth, since they were all heading the same way according to reports._

_As for me, it took a while for the word salad to go away.  I worked out every day to build my strength back up and keep limber.  Rude came with me when he could and he sparred with me.  Rufus got all the answers he wanted—at least, he thought he did—and he told us about his father and Hojo’s plan to use Aerith to find the Promised Land.  He was interested in carrying on the work himself.  He didn’t seem to believe in the place like his old man did but Rufus was the kind of guy that wanted answers, so he let Hojo keep on with his research._

_A girl named Elena climbed the ranks of the Turks fast and she was assigned to me and Rude to learn the ropes.  I guess she was okay but she babbled just as much as I usually did and it was usually about shit that wasn’t important.  I’m pretty sure she had a crush on Tseng, too.  Hell, who could blame her?  He’d let his hair grow long like I suggested years ago and it looked great on him, hanging down his back, thick and shiny.  I felt a little sorry for Elena because he didn’t have time to pay attention to her and he wasn’t interested in getting into a relationship with a woman, even if he did think she was pretty.  I guess I was lucky he took time out to be with me when he could, yo._

_It was hard for me to sit back and watch my fellow Turks doing all the work.  Usually I’d jump at the chance for a vacation but it was tough to keep my mind off of what I’d done.  I found out that Don Corneo leaked the information about the pillar bomb to Strife and his pals and he skipped town right after that.  Eventually the Turks were gonna have to find him and teach him a lesson, but that would have to come later, after I got better._

 

~*****************************************~

-To be continued           


	17. Chapter 17

“Thanks for the Memories”

A Reno fan fiction

Chapter 17: “Of keystones, Ancients and Weapons”

~*******************************************~

*Disclaimer:  The world that this story is set in and all characters therein belong to Square-Enix.  This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can’t get enough of this world and the characters.* 

~***********************************************~

 

            Reno kicked and hit the full-length punching bag vigorously, while his partner held it steady for him.  He’d worked up a good sweat and his strikes were forceful enough for Rude to feel them through the insulated cushioning of the heavy bag. 

 

            “You okay?” Rude finally asked when the redhead snarled launched a series of rapid attacks on the bag.

 

            Reno stopped and wiped his flushed, sweaty face with the towel that was draped around his shoulders.  He nodded wordlessly but didn’t look his partner in the eye.  He still couldn’t speak properly and the more frustrated he got, the worse it made his speech impediment.

 

            “Why don’t you take some time out?” Rude suggested with a concerned frown.  “You’re working yourself too hard, man.”

 

            Reno shrugged, panting softly.  “I can lick a stove,” he said.  He snarled again and picked up the little electronic touchscreen that he had hanging around his neck and he used the electronic pen to write in what he meant to say and shoved the device under Rude’s nose.

 

            “I could use a drink,” the screen said.  Rude nodded in understanding and released the punching bag to drape an arm around his smaller companion’s shoulders.

 

            “It’s on me, partner,” said the bald man.

 

~**********************************~

 

            Reno relaxed after he had a shower and got a few drinks in him.  He sat by Rude at the company bar and sipped his third cocktail, sighing as he worked the flavor over his tongue and swallowed. 

 

            “Feel better?” Rude asked.

 

            “Yeah,” Responded the redhead.  He stopped and quirked an auburn brow.  “I DO feel better…hey, the salad’s going away, yo!”

 

            Rude smirked.  “That was fast.  I was getting to like the quiet, too.”  He dodged the punch Reno aimed at him and ruffled the other Turk’s vivid hair with rough affection.

 

~*****************************************~

 

            _It was a real relief to get my pipes working again.  It didn’t get completely better all at once, though.  At first the only time I could say more than a couple of sentences without babbling was when I had some drinks.  After about a week I was back to normal and even though I still felt stabs of guilt now and then, I was feeling a lot better.  I went back to work and found out that Strife’s gang and Sephiroth were last spotted on a barge heading to Costa Del Sol.  Reeve managed to “join” Cloud’s gang using Cait Sith, which was this weird mechanical cat thing he’d engineered.  So far they didn’t suspect anything and Reeve kept us informed about what was going on with those guys._

_Rufus sent Rude, Elena and I to Gongaga when Reeve told him Cloud and the others were on their way there.  Scarlet and Tseng were supposed to check the ruined reactor there for huge materia and we were sent to make sure Cloud’s gang didn’t get in the way._

~************************************~

 

            “So Rude, if you were into girls who do you think you’d go for?”

 

            Rude looked at the redhead sidelong and grunted.  “I never thought of it.”

 

            “Not even once?” Reno persisted.  “Come on, there’s gotta be someone you’d be curious about, man.  So give, who would it be?”

 

            The bald man shrugged and looked in the direction of the path leading into the small village in the center of the forest.  “Tifa, I guess.”

 

            Reno would have made a crack about that but he was interrupted by Elena’s excited shouts, coming from the path leading out of the forest.  “They’re here!  They’re really here!”

 

            Reno and Rude turned around to see their blonde partner hurrying toward them and behind her were Cloud Strife, Aerith and a familiar little cat riding a giant stuffed mog.  “Calm down, Elena,” Reno said as she joined he and Rude, “You get way too excited sometimes.”

 

            “I’m just ready to prove my worth,” Elena countered.

 

            Cloud’s group stopped in front of the three Turks and the blonde fighter took a step forward and drew his sword.  Reno noticed he was wielding a new, wicked-looking blade and he wondered what happened to the Buster Sword. 

 

            “You guys again,” Cloud said in annoyance.  “Get out of our way.  I’m getting sick of this shit.”

 

            “This is as far as you go!”  Elena shouted as she drew her gun.

 

            Everyone exploded into motion and Reno was a little uncertain of how much force to use when Cait Sith ordered his mog to attack him.  He didn’t want to hurt company property but he couldn’t very well let the damned cat pummel him, either.  Rude barely dodged Cloud’s swinging sword and Elena shrieked as Aerith hit her with a rather strong burst of fire magic.  Thankfully the Turks each wore materia that was resistant to elemental attacks but it obviously still hurt.  Reno leaped out of the way as Cait Sith’s mog tried to drop its fists on his head and he smacked the automation with his EMR.

 

            “Yowch, that stings!” Cait Sith hollered, nearly dropping his megaphone.

 

            Rude faired well enough to get a decent hit in on Strife, bloodying the blonde fighter’s lip and making him stagger.  Elena fired her gun at Aerith, aiming to wound rather than kill.  Unfortunately the young Cetra had activated a Barrier spell that blocked the bullets.  Reno grabbed Cait Sith by the scruff of his neck and yanked him off of his mog, tossing him roughly into the bushes.  The cat yowled in alarm and the mog wandered around aimlessly, useless without its rider’s instructions.  For a minute Reno thought his team would beat the encounter but Strife lost his temper and everything went downhill from there.

 

            Rude was knocked back forcibly into Reno by Cloud’s swing and the two of them fell to the ground.  The bald man barely twisted his body in time to avoid crushing his smaller partner and Cloud Strife abruptly followed up by clunking the big man in the back of the head with the hilt of his sword, knocking him out.  He stopped beside the unconscious man and the redhead trapped beneath him, looking down at Reno with more than passing curiosity in his blue eyes.

 

            “I guess you’re not going anywhere soon,” Cloud said with a little smile as Reno cursed and struggled to roll his partner’s bulk off of him.

 

            “Elena, get to the chopper and send for backup,” Reno grunted when he noticed that the blonde woman had an opening to get away.  She raced to comply and Cloud started after her with a severe frown on his youthful face, only to stop and shake his head.

 

            “Quit following us,” Cloud warned Reno, holding him in with that burning, sapphire gaze for a moment.

 

            Reno stared up at him and his body decided to get inappropriately excited.  Cloud was a pretty boy but there was something powerful and attractive about him that went beyond good looks. 

 

            “You know we’re not gonna do that,” Reno answered breathlessly, grimacing a little as Rude’s gun dug painfully into his hip.

 

            Cloud shook his head again and motioned for the others to follow him.  “It’s your call,” he said as they started away and he retrieved Cait Sith from the bushes and put him back on his mog.  “You’re gonna get hurt if you keep this up, though.”

 

            Reno grumbled crossly and struggled to get to his phone as Cloud’s party walked down the path.  He managed to get the device out and call Tseng.  “Yo, it’s Reno,” he grunted, “Rude’s out of it and Elena’s on her way to you now.  Strife’s party got away and they’re heading for the village.  Should we follow?” 

 

            “No,” Tseng answered, “Just get back to the helicopter and take us to the reactor.  Strife’s gang can be left alone so long as they don’t get in the way of our assignment.”

 

            Reno sighed and hung up the phone, then groaned and struggled to roll his partner off of him.  When he finally succeeded, he slapped Rude’s face lightly until he woke up.  “You okay, partner?”

 

            “I’m getting sick of that punk and his friends,” Rude groaned.

 

            “Yeah, tell me about it,” Reno agreed, staring down the path where Cloud and the others had gone.  He kept his attraction to the blonde a secret—not because Rude was especially jealous but because if he found out he harbored dirty thoughts about a non-Turk that was basically the opposition, he’d probably lecture him for days.  “Can you walk, big guy?  Tseng and Scarlet are waiting at the chopper for us and Elena’s on her way there.”

 

            Rude nodded and allowed Reno to help him to his feet.  He pressed his fingers gingerly against the back of his head, where a lump was forming from Cloud beaming him with the sword hilt.  “Damned kid…why did I ever feel sorry for him?” he muttered.

 

~******************************************~

 

            _So the search for huge materia at the Gongaga reactor was a bust, but a couple of weeks later Rufus had a run-in with Cloud’s gang again when he went to Rocket Town to get the tiny bronco from Cid Highwind.  He wanted to use it to get to the Temple of the Ancients faster than a helicopter could make it but Strife and his buddies stole it before Rufus and Palmer could get it.  They shot it down but it could still move in the water, so Cloud and his pesky friends got away again.  Rufus gave me, Rude and Elena a little vacation after that because there wasn’t anything else to do until ShinRa could find out where the keystone was to get into the Temple of the Ancients._

            Yo, you’d think a vacation was a good thing.  We chose Wutai and of course, we ended up running into Strife’s gang there.  Shit, what was it going to take to get them out of our hair?  Not only that, but we got word that Don Corneo was hiding out there too.  So much for our break.

 

_~**********************************~_

“He’s here,” Elena reported.

 

            Reno took a deep swallow from his beer and raised an eyebrow at her.  “Who’s here?”

 

            “Corneo!  I saw him near the Dai-Chao statues.”

 

            Rude grumbled and Reno sighed.  Before they could answer the blonde Turk, she made another exclamation.  “Strife’s here, too!” she cried, drawing her gun.

 

            Reno heard the sound of weapons being drawn and he turned around in his barstool to study Cloud.  This time the blonde was with Cid Highwind and a pale man with long, black hair.  Reno almost fell off the stool when he recognized the dark-haired man as the “corpse” he’d found years ago in the ShinRa mansion.  He barely contained his surprise and forced himself to stay cool and collected.

 

            “Elena, you talk too much,” Reno said, turning around again and taking another drink from his beer.  “We’re here on vacation.”

 

            “Even the booze tastes bad now,” Rude added.

 

            She stared between her two partners and Cloud’s group, angry and humiliated by the public chastising.  “Fine then.  You two enjoy your ‘vacation’.  I’m going after Corneo!”  She rudely shoved past Cloud and his group and made her way out the door, practically fuming.

 

            “Maybe you shouldn’t let her wander around with that pervert on the loose,” Cloud suggested, crossing his arms over his chest.

“She’s a big girl,” Reno shrugged.  “She can take care of herself.”

 

            Cloud shook his head at him.  “If you say so.  We’ve got to find Yuffie.  Come on, guys.”  He and his friends left the bar and Reno waved absently at them.  He and Rude sat silently and drank for a few minutes until the bald man began to get restless.

 

            “I’m starting to think he might be right,” Rude mumbled.  “Corneo’s reckless and you know if he can get his hands on Elena he might try to use her as a hostage.”

 

            Reno considered this and sighed again.  “All right partner, let’s go find her and get this Corneo business over with.  I want to enjoy what little vacation time we’ve got left.”

 

            Rude nodded and Reno paid for the drinks.  They went outside and started toward the statues.  Reno narrowed his eyes when he saw the familiar figure of Don Corneo heading toward the base of the gigantic statues. 

 

            “Yo, check it out,” Reno said as he pulled Rude behind a house with him before they were spotted.  They watched as Corneo and his thugs dragged two struggling women with them—one of whom was Elena.

 

            “I knew this would happen,” Rude sighed.

 

            “Hold up…we’ll have to take ‘em by surprise,” Reno whispered, stalling the bald man from going after them right away.  When the group disappeared from sight the two Turks stepped out from behind the house and began to walk to the path leading up into the statues.  Before they could get far, Cloud’s group nearly bowled them over.

 

            “Hey, watch where the hell you’re going!” Reno snapped as he narrowly avoided crashing into Cid.

 

            “Did you see Corneo come by with a Wutaian girl and your partner?” The black-haired man beside Cloud asked in a low, hollow voice.

 

            Reno shivered as he met the man’s crimson eyes and he wondered if he remembered him at all.  The marble features were expressionless and hard to read as the dark-haired man waited for a response.

“Let’s just say they’re in the place that stands out the most, man,” Reno said smoothly, looking at Cloud with a nod.  “If you figure it out, we’ll work with you to get the girls free.  Come on, Rude.”  He nudged his partner and they took off, while Cloud discussed his plans with his group.  Reno and Rude started up the path to the Dai-Chao statues and decided to split up and keep their cellphones ready for communication.

 

            Reno had already explored one of the hands and he was just under the right statue’s face when he literally bumped into Cloud Strife’s hard body.  “What’s with you people?” the redhead complained as Cloud caught him around the waist and steadied him.  Sea-green eyes stared into ocean blue ones for a couple of seconds and Cloud didn’t let go of him immediately.  Reno felt the blonde’s heart thudding just as hard as his as his hand inadvertently pressed against Cloud’s chest. 

            ~What was I doing again?~  Reno was distracted by Cloud’s lips, so close to his.  Strife’s lips were some of the most nicely shaped he’d ever seen and he couldn’t stop himself from entertaining thoughts of what it would be like to kiss them and feel them around his cock. 

“Uh, I already checked that way,” Reno finally said, jerking his chin in the direction he’d just come from.  “Where are your friends, man?”

 

            He saw the blonde’s throat work as Cloud swallowed and Reno almost smirked.  So, he wasn’t the only one feeling some chemistry, here.  “We split up to find them faster,” answered the fighter as he slowly released the Turk.  “Maybe they’re at the top?”

 

            “Yeah, you go check there and I’ll take a look in the cave systems,” Reno suggested.  His body tingled where Strife’s had pressed against it and he felt his groin tightening as a result.  “Good luck, Blondie.”  He took off before Cloud could respond, swearing silently and willing his libido to back off.  Now wasn’t the time to get hot and bothered over Strife.  He vowed to have a cold shower or a long fuck with Rude in the hotel room when this was over with. __

_~************************************~_

Reno met up with Rude again near the bottom of the statue.  Both Turks were winded from climbing up and down the statues in their search and neither had any luck in finding their quarry.  Reno was just about to suggest they go get the chopper to do an air search when the sound of Elena’s screams echoed through the surrounding statues. 

 

            “Up top,” Reno panted.  He and Rude struggled back up to the top of the statues, where Cloud’s party had just dispersed some sort of winged creature they assumed to have been Corneo’s latest pet.  Elena was tied to the face of one of the statues and beside her was a Wutaian girl, equally bound and helpless. 

 

            “Let them go, Corneo,” Cloud growled.

 

            “Did you think I didn’t have a backup plan?” Don Corneo hollered as he reached for a remote.  Both of the captured young women screamed as they rotated in their bonds to hang upside down over a killing drop.  How he’d found the time to rig a mechanism to do that was anyone’s guess, but there was no time to lose. 

 

Rude drew his gun and fired in one smooth motion.  It was Corneo that screamed now as his remote flew out of his hand and blood sprayed from the neat hole shot through the appendage.  “Shit!” the Don screamed as he tucked his wounded hand against his jacket and backed away.  Reno approached him, followed by Rude.  Cloud’s gang watched silently as Corneo shuffled backwards until he lost his balance and nearly fell over the side of the statue.  He managed to catch hold of the edge with his uninjured hand and he babbled and pleaded with the Turks incoherently. 

 

Reno knelt down and stared him in the eye.  “Why do you think we worked with these guys to find you?”

 

“I…I don’t know,” Corneo whimpered, “Please, don’t kill me!”

 

Reno straightened up.  “You shouldn’t have blabbed,” he said as he stepped hard on the Don’s grasping fingers, twisting the hard heel of his shoe back and forth over it.  “And you really shouldn’t have kidnapped one of our own.  Sucks to be you.”  Corneo screamed and lost his grip, falling to his death swiftly.

 

Reno turned to face Cloud’s group, daring them to say anything.  They stared back mutely for a minute, until the captive women’s shrill cries reminded them why they were there.  Cloud climbed onto the face of the statue carefully and began to free the girls one at a time from their bonds.  Reno was a little worried about that but the blonde was Mako enhanced and he had the strength to keep his perch and hold onto each girl as he freed them.  He handed them down to his waiting companions and the Turks.  Elena was shaking like a leaf when Strife helped her down but she held onto her composure as well as could be expected. 

 

Reno’s cellphone rang and he answered it, looking at Cloud as Tseng gave him orders.  He hung up with his superior and announced that the Turks were supposed to bring Cloud and the others in.  Cloud’s group tensed and got ready to fight, but Reno held his hands out to stay his partners, reaching for his pack of clove cigarettes instead of his EMR. __

“We’re still on vacation,” said the redhead as he lit up and took a drag.  “If they’re still here when our break’s finished, we’ll bring ‘em in.”  He looked at Cloud silently, smirked a little and motioned for Rude and Elena to follow him.  He felt the blonde fighter’s eyes on him as he and his companions walked down the path leading to the bottom of the statue.  Elena was too shaken up to question his orders and Rude just went along with it as he usually did, clearly uninterested in further conflicts for the time being.

 

Cloud’s team left Wutai that night and Reno enjoyed the final two days of the vacation, distracting himself from forbidden fantasies concerning Cloud Strife by enjoying the reality of his muscular, bald partner.  As they were leaving Wutai to get back to work, Elena made a comment that sleeping in the room next to theirs was like leaving the TV on a porno channel all night long.  Rude looked embarrassed about that but Reno just grinned and shrugged. __

~********************************~

 

_A few days after we got back from vacation, Rufus found out that the keystone to the Temple of the Ancients was in Dio’s showroom in the Gold Saucer.  Guess who got their hands on it before we could?  Yup, Strife.  Rufus wanted to get it from him so that ShinRa could use it to find out more about the Promised Land, so Reeve had Cait Sith snag it from Cloud’s group while they slept at the Gold Saucer and I took Tseng to pick it up.  We barely got it in time.  The cat chucked it at Tseng right before Cloud tackled him from behind._

_We expected Cloud to turn Cait Sith into a pile of springs, gears and stuffing but the damned cat was so good at negotiating that he convinced him to let him come with to the Temple.  Rude and I were sent to drop off Tseng with some soldiers at the Temple and then to return to Midgar, but a whole shitload of things happened after we got back.  I thought I was gonna lose someone really important to me, man._

~************************************~

 

            Reno stood at the side of the hospital bed and stared down at Tseng’s unconscious form.  He’d been sent to pick him up after Rufus got a call from him that he could barely understand.  The Wutaian had been attacked at the Temple of the Ancients and all of the men he’d brought with him had been killed.  He couldn’t tell them who was responsible for it but Elena insisted that it had to be Cloud and his gang.  The problem with that was the entry and exit wounds in Tseng’s torso and back were too thin to belong to have been caused by Strife’s weapon.

 

            They’d gotten Tseng to the med lab before he bled to death but now he was fighting a severe infection.  When he wasn’t delirious with fever and mumbling nonsense, he was unconscious.  Reno took turns with Rufus and Rude watching over him, while Elena took off to go after Cloud.  It wasn’t until after she was gone that Reeve got in touch with Rufus and Reno and told them Sephiroth was responsible for Tseng’s condition.  He’d had Cait Sith sacrifice himself to shrink the temple into the form of the Black Materia so that Strife could get it and try to keep it safe.  Unfortunately, it seemed that Sephiroth and Jenova had some sort of power over Cloud and the blonde had ended up giving the black materia to Sephiroth.  Reeve then informed them that Strife’s group was leaving the City of the Ancients and that unfortunately, Aerith Gainsborough had been killed…supposedly by Sephiroth.

 

            “I’m sorry, Tseng,” Reno whispered as he held the Wutaian’s unresponsive hand and squeezed it.  “I know you cared about her.  I don’t know how you’re gonna take it when you find out, man.”  He sighed heavily and lifted his superior’s hand to his cheek, nuzzling it softly and feeling how hot it was.  “You’d better not die on us,” he finished after a moment.  “Sephiroth’s got the Black Materia now and there’s no fucking telling what’ll happen if he’s not dealt with.  We need you, Tseng.”

 

            Rude came into the room and walked up behind Reno, squeezing his shoulders soothingly.  “You need rest,” the bald man insisted to his partner.

 

            “I already tried to sleep,” Reno said as he looked up at his partner with glossy eyes.  There were dark circles under them.  “I just keep thinking about all this shit and I’m afraid if I go to sleep, I’ll wake up to find out Tseng croaked it.”

 

            “There’s nothing else we can do about it,” Rude said.  “You’re not going to be any good to anyone if you don’t get a little rest, man.  The President’s running himself ragged too.  He’s trying not to let this get to him but I saw his face before he boarded the airship with Hojo and the others.  They’re going to the Northern Crater, where Reeve said Strife’s gang are heading.”

 

            “Have you gotten in touch with Elena yet?” Reno asked.

 

            Rude shook his head.  “No, she’s not taking any of her calls.  She still thinks Strife did this to Tseng and she wants to give him payback.”

 

            Reno groaned and dropped Tseng’s hand to rub his tired eyes.  “Great, that’s just what we need.  What’s the deal with Strife and Sephiroth…is it because of the shit Hojo did to Cloud in the mansion that Sephiroth was able to brainwash him into giving away the Black Materia?”

 

            Rude sighed.  “That’s about what I got out of it, but Hojo’s being pretty evasive.  Rufus said he mentioned a ‘Reunion’.  There were a bunch of clones in Nibelheim that Hojo experimented on and they’re all heading north, like they’re being called or something.  It’s some crazy shit, man.”

 

            “So they’ve all got Jenova cells inside of ‘em, like Strife,” Reno guessed with a frown.  Was it Jenova calling them or was it Sephiroth?  A lot of it was speculation on his part because he only had second-hand information about the whole Jenova project Hojo had worked on.  It was all tied to the Ancients and the Promised Land but he wasn’t sure just how and if he kept thinking about it, his headache would only get worse. 

 

            “Let’s leave it up to others to figure out,” Reno said after a couple of moments.  “We should just concentrate on following orders and getting through this shit with our skin intact.”

 

~*******************************************~

 

            _Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, word came back from Rufus that he found Cloud’s group at the Northern Crater all right, but Sephiroth—the REAL Sephiroth—was also there.  Hojo finally spilled the beans and told him all the sightings of Sephiroth before weren’t actually him, but copies—kind of like what Genesis was making of himself.  Cloud got the Black Materia again but the dipshit ended up giving it right back to Sephiroth and now these big ass creatures called WEAPONS were awake and rampaging all over the Planet.  Elena came back and finally found out that Cloud wasn’t the one that attacked Tseng.  Heidegger tightened up security and Rufus ordered a curfew for all ShinRa controlled towns to try and keep order._

 

            _That wasn’t even the worst of it.  Sephiroth summoned Meteor and there was no telling how much time we had before the fucking thing destroyed Gaia and everyone on it.  Cloud Strife was missing but Rufus brought back his friends Tifa and Barret with him to Junon on the airship. He ordered us to come to Junon and bring Tseng, because he figured it was safer there than at Midgar because of the extra firepower and the big Mako cannon._

_Now there was a new plan; we were going to collect huge materia and send it up on a rocket to try and blow Meteor to pieces.  Rufus was doing everything he could to fight the rampaging WEAPONS and find a way to destroy Meteor.  When we finished moving Tseng to the Junon hospital, Rufus checked up on him and then took me and Rude to his hotel suite.  The sex was pretty intense, probably because we had doom hanging over our heads, man._

_I could tell that the strain was taking a toll on the boss, though.  His worry for Tseng and the public panic he was trying to keep under control made him desperate.  I couldn’t believe it when he ordered the execution of Cloud’s friends to pacify the public.  When I asked him if he was sure about it he nearly bit my head off.  Things were falling apart fast, yo._

~**************************************~

 

            “Reno, can I have a word with you in private?”

 

            Reno turned to face Reeve, who had come up behind him while he was on his way to Rufus’ office to try and convince him to wait on the execution of Strife’s friends.

 

            “I’m in a hurry,” Reno said with irritation.

 

            The handsome executive held up his hands in a pacifying gesture.  “I’m aware of that,” he said, “It will only take a moment.  If you’re as concerned with the recent state of affairs as I am, you should hear me out.”

 

            Reno stared at him with narrowed eyes for a moment.  Looking around, he grabbed the sleeve of Reeve’s business suit and dragged him toward a utility closet in the hallway.  Shutting the door behind them, the redhead flicked on the light and leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.  “What’s this about, man?”

 

            “I think I can stop the execution and get Cloud’s companions safely out of Junon, if you’ll help me,” Reeve said without hesitation.

 

            Reno tilted his head and smiled coldly at the older man.  “What makes you think I won’t rat you out?”

 

            “Nothing’s stopping you,” Reeve countered, “except your conscience.  Deny it all you like, Reno, but I’ve been paying attention to you and I can tell you think this is just as wrong as I do.”  He reached out and surprised the redhead by cupping his jaw and gazing into his eyes knowingly.  “If I’m wrong, pick up your phone now and give me away.  If I’m right, help me save some innocent people.”  He stepped closer and Reno could smell the pleasant aroma of his cologne.  “What’s it going to be, Reno?”

 

            He’d always thought Reeve was kind of sexy but now the man was absolutely hot to Reno.  Maybe it was the chutzpah he was demonstrating that Reno never even knew he had, but the Turk decided that sometime in the future he was going to have to tap Reeve and see if that intensity would carry over into the bedroom.

 

            Reno reached into his pocket for his clearance badge without being fully aware he was doing it.  He was caught in Reeve’s dark eyes as he fished it out and handed it over.  “Use this to get into the observation room where they’ll have the execution,” he said, “We never had this conversation and if you get caught I’ll deny knowing a damn thing about it.”

 

            Reeve took the card and nodded elegantly, releasing the redhead’s jaw as he pocketed the security badge.  “Thank you, Reno.  I promise, you won’t regret this.”

 

            _~Hmph…we’ll see,~_ Reno thought.  There was one more dilemma, however.  If anyone saw them leaving the utility closet together, it would look suspicious.  _~Hmm…naw…now’s not the time to fuck around.  Still, it’d be better for people to think we fucked than know we were making plans to free Strife’s friends.~_

“Hold up a sec,” Reno said.  He reached out toward the other man’s crotch without warning and unzipped his fly.

 

            “What on Gaia—“ Reeve started to say.  The Turk didn’t answer.  Instead, he ruffled the older man’s hair brusquely.  Reeve stared at Reno as the redhead reached up and tilted his goggles on his head to make them lopsided before mussing his own hair and undoing the buttons on his shirt. 

 

            “If anyone sees us leaving this closet together there’s gonna be questions,” Reno explained with a wink.  “I’d rather them think we were messing around than think we were plotting something, yo.”

 

            “I see,” Reeve murmured in approval, scanning the Turk with dark eyes.  It was a shame they didn’t have time to mess around for real, now that he thought of it.  “This also gives you the perfect alibi, should I get caught.  You could use the excuse that I snitched your keycard from you while we were…occupied.”

           

            Reno sighed.  “Too bad you’re not a Turk.  I think you’d fit right in.”

 

            “No, I wouldn’t,” Reeve countered with a soft chuckle, “but I appreciate the sentiment.  Are we ready to leave the closet now?”

 

            “Ready as I’ll ever be,” Reno answered as he twisted to unlock the door.  “I’ll go out first.”  He opened the door, stepped outside of the closet and bit back a curse as Scarlet walked by and stopped to look at him.  His clothes and hair were convincingly disheveled and he had no choice but to go with it.  He smirked at her as he finished buttoning his shirt.  She stared at him with narrowed eyes, which widened visibly as Reeve exited the closet.

 

            The head of the Urban Development department noticed the blonde woman staring and he gave her an uncharacteristically lewd look and zipped up his fly.  Reno snorted with the effort to hold back his snickers as her jaw dropped.  Whistling with satisfaction, Reeve walked away from Scarlet and Reno toward the elevators.  She watched him go for a moment before her head whipped around to regard Reno.  Her mouth was still hanging open and he shrugged at her and continued on to Rufus’s office in the opposite direction from Reeve. 

 

            _~Word’s gonna get out fast about this if things ever calm down enough.  Hell, I didn’t even screw Tuesti but that’s what Rufus is going to hear.  I’ll have to lie to him one way or the other, man.  This blows.~_

            Reno sighed as he reached the door to Rufus’s Junon office and pressed the button to announce himself.  He was damned if he did and damned if he didn’t right now…which seemed to be the norm in his life lately.  He only hoped that Reeve managed to pull off the rescue tomorrow, without getting caught.

 

~*********************************~

 

            _I didn’t have to worry because Rufus had too much on his mind to worry about me “screwing Reeve in the closet”.  I told him right away and he said he’d deal with it after we stopped Meteor.  He wanted me to oversee the shipment of the huge materia and make sure it got to Rocket Town for the launch.  Rude and Elena were assigned to go with me.  We were supposed to leave in the morning, after the scheduled execution._

 

            _Nothing ever really goes the way it’s planned, though._

~*****************************************~

 

-To be continued  

  


	18. Chapter 18

“Thanks for the Memories”

A Reno fan fiction

Chapter 18: “Loss”

~*******************************************~

*Disclaimer:  Final Fantasy and all characters therein belong to Square-Enix.  This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can’t get enough of this world and the characters.* 

~***********************************************~

 

            _I stayed with Rufus that night.  I thought he didn’t care about the Reeve business until we were alone in his hotel room but he mentioned it and told me not to think I was going to get off easy.  He used all kinds of gadgets on me and he wouldn’t let me come no matter how much I begged.  By the time he finally took me I was out of control and begging like a cat in heat.  It was torture but in a good way, ‘cause it gave me proof that Rufus was still in there somewhere.  Afterwards he kissed me all over and rubbed my back._

_If Reeve played his part like I hoped, Cloud’s friends would get out with their necks intact and we could move on from there.  It was pretty obvious that I couldn’t change the boss’s mind.  I went to sleep in Rufus’s arms and hoped that Tseng would wake up soon.  If anyone could reason with our boss and give him some good advice, Tseng was it._

_~***************************************~_

            Reno swallowed his lover’s release and stretched out on top of him, grinning as he kissed Rufus’s panting lips.  “How was that for a wake-up call, boss?”

 

            “Much better than my alarm,” Rufus admitted with a sigh as he combed his fingers through Reno’s loose hair.  He glanced at the clock and gently pushed Reno away.  “I’ve got to get up and get ready.  You’re scheduled to leave within the next few hours as well, as I recall.  Have you spoken with Rude and Elena yet?”

 

            “Yes Sir,” Reno answered softly, disguising a frown.  “I guess I should get dressed.”

 

            Rufus put an arm around him suddenly and stopped him in the process of getting out of bed.  “Reno,” he murmured, “You know that I’m only doing what has to be done.”

 

            Reno nodded.  “Someone’s gotta be the scapegoat…I get that.  You know I’m gonna be loyal to you no matter what, Rufus.”  He turned his head and kissed the President lingeringly before getting out of the bed.  He felt Rufus’s eyes on him as he dressed in a fresh uniform and brushed his hair out.  He secured the long mane into a ponytail and retrieved his EMR from on top of the dresser, then stopped by the bed again to lean down and give Rufus another kiss.

 

            “Try not to think so hard, boss.  You’ll end up with that salad shit I had if you don’t slow down a little.”

 

            Rufus chuckled.  “Suggestion noted.”

 

~*****************************************~

 

            _We got the chopper loaded up and ready and then we went to the hotel room I was staying in with Rufus to watch the execution.  Elena looked a little squeamish, especially when Scarlet had Tifa dragged to the gas chamber first.  I heard her mumble something I couldn’t catch and she started looking anywhere but at the TV screen, yo.  Rude stared with his jaw clenched tight and I was sure the big guy was gonna give himself a headache, gritting his teeth like that._

_I was starting to panic a little when they put Lockheart in the gas chamber and there weren’t any signs of intervention, but then a really chubby reporter asked Scarlet why she wanted a public execution.  She looked like she was about to answer but all the sudden the transmission went to static and the lights dimmed.  At first I thought it was Reeve’s doing, man.  Me, Rude and Elena were swearing and trying to find out flashlights when the speakers came on and there was an announcement that one of the Weapons was heading straight toward Junon from the ocean._

_Smart, eh?  They made a public announcement that a huge fucking monster was coming to turn everyone to mulch and then told everyone to stay calm and keep indoors.  Um…no.  We could hear the screams in the hallway as people flooded out of their hotel rooms and crammed for the exits._

~*************************************~

 

            Reno’s cellphone rang just as Rude cracked the door open and peered into the crowded hallways.  The redhead picked up the phone and Rufus answered his greeting.

 

            “Reno, I want you and the others to take Tseng and get to the helicopter as soon as possible,” the President ordered, “Heidegger is getting ready to fire the cannon and the city is in chaos.”

 

            “We’re bringing you too,” Reno insisted stubbornly.

 

            “No, you aren’t,” Rufus countered firmly.  “I’m staying here to oversee the defense of the harbor.  I’ll meet you in Midgar later if we succeed in defending Junon.  Take Tseng there and make sure that the operation to move the huge materia isn’t interfered with.  It’s the only chance we have of stopping Meteor, so I’m leaving it up to you and the others to see it through.  Understood?”

 

            Reno swallowed and looked at his fellow Turks, both of which were staring at him curiously.  “Yes Sir.  We’d better see you in Midgar.”

 

            “I’ll do my best to make it,” Rufus answered grimly, “Just do as I ask, Fox.”

 

            Reno nodded silently, hung up the phone and looked at Rude and Elena.  “We’ve been ordered to get Tseng out of the med ward and get out of the city with him, yo.”

 

            “How are we going to do that with the place as crowded as it is?” Rude wanted to know.

 

            “We could call the hospital and tell them to wheel Tseng outside to the airport,” Elena suggested.  “Then we can fly the chopper off of the roof here and drop down to pick him up.”

 

            “Good idea,” Reno approved.  “Let’s get moving.”  He turned his cell back on and flicked through the numbers until he found the one he needed.  He followed Rude and Elena out of the hotel room and into the crowded hall as he talked to the receptionist that answered the phone and relayed the President’s orders to her.

 

            “Make sure you send a doctor with him,” Reno instructed as Rude cleared a path and he followed behind the bald man and Elena in the opposite direction of the tide of people surging for the elevators.  “And make sure nothing happens to him.”  He cursed as he was nearly swept away in the throng, but Rude reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him tightly against his body.  The bald man worked like a bulldozer to push people aside and get himself and his two companions to the stairs…where anyone with common sense would have been going if they weren’t in hysterics. 

 

            There was a minimum amount of people using the stairs and most of them were traveling down rather than up.  The three Turks had to fight against the current to climb the stairs to the roof.  It took longer than they would have liked but they eventually reached the rooftop and hurried to the chopper.  Rude got into the front passenger seat and Elena secured herself into one of the back seats.  There were a few people on the roof and when they saw the helicopter begin to start up, they rushed for it.

 

            “Fuck, they’re gonna weigh us down,” Reno swore as he willed the rotaries to spin faster for lift-off.  Rude opened his door and fired a few shots harmlessly into the air, startling the approaching people to make them hesitate long enough for Reno to get the chopper into the air. 

 

            Reno climbed in altitude as fast as he could, getting far out of reach of the pleading civilians that were on the roof.  He slammed his fist angrily on the control panel and steered the chopper away from the hotel roof and toward the airport.

 

            “Look at that!” Elena cried, pointing out the right side window.  Reno and Rude looked where she indicated and they witnessed the huge Mako cannon powering up. 

 

            “Shit, hold onto something,” Reno said through gritted teeth.

 

            The Cannon fired with an explosive boom that was so powerful it shook the very air and caused the chopper to lurch with turbulence.  The Turks held on grimly while Reno struggled to keep the craft in the air.  For a moment they thought they were going down but the redhead steadied the helicopter and they watched the fiery shot released from the cannon speed across the horizon, over the surface of the ocean.  Far in the distance the Mako shot exploded, lighting up the sky with an orange glow.  Even Rude’s mouth was hanging open.

 

            “Do you think it hit?” Elena shouted.

 

            Reno saw a wave growing on the horizon, right about where the shot had exploded.  “No, I think they pissed it off,” he hollered back.  “We’ve got to get a fucking move-on!”  He started the chopper forward again and swooped it down at a steep incline toward the airport.  The drop lifted the passengers off of their seats and Rude hastily tugged his seatbelt tighter while some of the color drained from his complexion.  Reno slowed the descent at the last minute, touching down without jarring the craft with skill that most pilots never mastered.  The medical staff was already wheeling Tseng out onto the landing pad and Elena pulled the cargo doors open as quickly as her small frame would allow.

 

            “We have to hurry,” shouted the accompanying doctor as he ushered the two aids and the nurse to get his patient loaded onto the chopper.

 

            “Don’t have to tell me twice,” Reno cried back as he looked out at the ocean and saw the wave approaching quickly.

 

            Rude abruptly unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the helicopter to help them load the stricken Turk leader into the helicopter.  While they were doing that, Reno spotted three familiar figures making their way across the concrete several feet away.  He recognized Barret, Cait Sith and the Wutaian girl named Yuffie but he couldn’t see Tifa.  The group was heading for the lift to the Highwind airship. 

 

            _~Can’t worry about them right now, I’ve gotta get Tseng and the rest of us out of here before that thing reaches Junon!~_

            “Hurry up, man!” Reno yelled.  He heard a note of hysteria creeping into his voice and he clamped down on his fear with grim determination.  Rude’s efforts alone practically got Tseng’s stretcher into the chopper and the doctor and his assistants boarded quickly after to secure it.  Rude got back into his seat and buckled up while the two aids shut the cargo doors and the doctor and the nurse locked the wheels on the stretcher and strapped themselves into the back seats on either side of Tseng.  Elena got her seatbelt secured just as Reno lifted off again.  The aids also secured themselves and Reno shouted for everyone to hold on tight as he fought the downdrafts and made the chopper ascend.

 

            He didn’t turn away immediately.  He couldn’t.  Rufus and Reeve were still in the city and Reno couldn’t bring himself to fly away until he knew they were either safe or there was no hope.  He hovered over the city and he and the other passengers got their first real glimpse of the creature that was advancing on the city.  It was enormous and Reno impulsively steered the chopper to climb even higher to be on the safe side.

 

            “Look at that thing,” Rude said in horrified awe, “It’s bigger than the cannon!”

 

            Reno stared at the leviathan approaching from the sea below and his heart felt like it would leap up his throat and right out of his mouth. 

 

            _~Oh gods…Rufus…that thing’s gonna ram straight into the city!  Oh gods…~_

            Junon Harbor’s defense systems began to unload on the approaching menace, shooting volleys of missiles, gunfire and cannon fire until the harbor looked like a fireworks display.  A blue-green fin of unspeakable proportions broke out of the water as the Mako cannon began to recharge.  Evil-looking, slit-pupiled eyes larger than the aircraft Reno flew glared balefully at the city as the gigantic head broke out of the water.  The weapons firing from Junon exploded harmlessly against the creature’s body as its mouth yawned open and a white beam of energy erupted from within the cavernous maw.

 

            Reno shouted a curse as the beam struck the Junon Headquarters and burned a long, jagged tear into the structure.  He was sure his beloved boss was a goner but then the Mako cannon fired right into the Weapon’s open mouth.  He could hardly believe it when the monster’s head exploded and it sank into the ocean lifelessly.  He didn’t even realize he was shouting at the top of his lungs with exuberance, right along with the others in the helicopter.

 

            “They did it!  They fucking did it!” Reno pumped a fist into the air and yelped as he scraped his knuckles on the switches over his head.  Rude was smiling from ear to ear but he wasn’t shouting.  Elena was hooting and squeezing Tseng’s limp hand, and the nurse was hugging the doctor.

 

            Reno almost missed it when his cellphone rang.  It took three rings before he felt the vibration against his side and he pulled the device out and grinned hugely when he saw Rufus’s number on the ID.

 

            “YO, WE SAW THE WHOLE THING, SIR!” Reno shouted as soon as he answered the phone, “THAT WAS AWESOME!  YOU’RE AWESOME!  I LOVE YOU!”

 

            Rufus sounded relieved and amused at the same time as he responded: “That’s wonderful Reno, but you’re screaming like a banshee.  Are you all secure?”

 

            “YEAH BOSS, WE’RE ALL HERE AND TSENG’S FINE!” Reno was so relieved and excited that he couldn’t control the volume of his voice.

 

            “Good,” Rufus said calmly, “you can stop shouting now, Fox.  I can hear you quite well.  Get Tseng safely to Midgar and I’ll be along after we get the cleanup underway.”

 

            “You got it,” Reno said hoarsely, flushing a little with embarrassment with the realization that he’d just screamed endearments to the President in front of mixed company.  “We’ll see you there, Sir.”  He cleared his throat and turned the phone off, replacing it in his pocket.  Rude was smirking at him and he made a face at the bald man before turning the chopper on the heading he needed.

 

            “Don’t look so smug,” Reno said in a ragged tone to his partner, “You were just as excited as I was, yo.”

 

            “I thought it was cute, is all,” Rude said just loudly enough for Reno to hear.  The redhead flushed again and cleared his throat.

 

            Reno was just about to start the chopper moving forward when he spotted tiny movement on top of the barrel of the Mako cannon from his peripheral vision.  He frowned and leaned over, practically falling into Rude’s lap.  “Yo, is that Lockheart running down the cannon?” he said when his partner looked at him quizzically. 

 

            Rude looked out the window and raised his shades to squint.  “Yeah, I think so,” he confirmed.  “It looks like Scarlet’s going after her with a couple of grunts, too.”

 

            Reno grimaced and watched the buxom brunette flee from her pursuers.  He couldn’t admit it out loud but he really hoped she got away.  He didn’t know how that was possible though, because there was nowhere left for her to go except into the ocean once she reached the end of the cannon.  He spotted something at the end of the huge weapon that gave him pause, though.  A crooked grin curved his lips and he thought Tifa just might escape with her life after all.

 

            _~Run as fast as those huge knockers will let you, girl.  You’re almost safe.~_

            Unfortunately, Scarlet caught up with her at the end of the cannon and Reno winced as the blonde ShinRa executive said something to Tifa and back-handed her across the face.  For a moment the brunette stared up at her and the redhead noticed her hand curling into a fist.

 

            “Catfight,” Reno muttered with glee.  Tifa smacked Scarlet back, hard enough to make the blonde’s head jerk to the side.  “Oooh, snap!  Hit her again, Lockheart!”

 

            “I thought you were gay,” Elena snorted archly, surprised that someone like Reno would be interested in seeing a pair of women hash it out.

 

            “Scarlet’s had it coming for a long time,” Reno shot back as he watched the encounter with interest.  “I just want to see her knocked down a peg, man.”

 

            Scarlet slapped Tifa again and the brunette let loose on the woman.  Reno was exuberant as he watched the barmaid smack Scarlet again and again and again, until the blonde woman fell to her knees holding her face.  Scarlet shouted something at the grunts and they started forward.  Tifa retreated quickly, running to the end of the cannon as fast as she could.

 

            “What’s she going to do, dive into the water?” Elena questioned.

 

            Rude silently pointed out what Reno had already spotted rising from under the cannon, and the blonde Turk gasped.  “They stole the Highwind!”

 

            Reno smirked as the ShinRa airship rose before the cannon and Cloud’s friends dropped a rope over the side for Tifa to grab onto.  She almost missed it and for a heart-stopping moment, it looked like she was going to fall into the ocean.  She caught hold of the rope at the last minute and her friends called her onto the deck, hugging her tightly.

 

            “Gotta admire their balls,” Reno said with satisfaction.  Rude and Elena looked at him curiously but he was beyond caring what they thought of his reaction to Tifa and her friends escaping.  “Let’s get to Midgar.”

 

~**************************************~

 

            _Once we got to Midgar we were even busier.  Tseng was moved into the ShinRa medical facility and me and Rude were sent out to help oversee collecting the huge materia.  But Cloud’s posse went back to being major pains in our asses and they kept getting in the way._

_First, the bastards cut off the shipment of huge materia from North Corel.  It was supposed to be brought in by train but they hijacked it and snagged the materia.  I had a pretty good idea how they found out where we were moving it from but since I wasn’t in a hurry to see Reeve executed for being a double-agent, I kept my mouth shut and just did my job._

_The company was supposed to get huge materia from Fort Condor next but wouldn’t ya know it, the Strife Pack got there in time to fight our guys off and all the high ranking company members were occupied with the rest of the shipments and couldn’t make it on time to help.  Besides that, ShinRa had a new plan to get rid of the barrier around the Northern Crater so Sephiroth could be reached.  They had the Mako cannon moved from Junon to Midgar.  I thought it was a crazy idea but sometimes, those are the best ones._

_Tseng finally woke up but he was too weak to take on the role of Turk leader again yet, so lucky me, I was stuck doing it for a while longer.  He stayed close to Rufus and advised him while the rest of us tried to make sure the rest of the huge materia got where it was supposed to get._

_I was in charge of overseeing the shipment from the underwater reactor in Junon.  You ain’t going to believe who I ran into there…or hell, maybe you will since I’m sure you know by now Strife had more lives than a freakin’ cat._

~******************************************~

 

            “We’re on a schedule,” Reno snapped as he checked his watch and shouted orders, “Move faster!”

 

            “Sir, we can only move so fast with this thing,” the captain of the sub insisted nervously, “It’s raw materia!  We don’t know how stable it is so we have to be careful.”

 

            “Think I don’t know that?” Reno challenged, “You can still move faster than this.  Crank up the speed a little on that conveyer chain.  We’ve got to get this thing loaded into the sub and out of here before—“

 

            “We’ll be taking that materia,” Interrupted a familiar voice from behind Reno.

 

            _~Strife??  I never thought I’d hear that voice again!~_

            Reno rolled his eyes with exasperation, both because he felt inappropriate relief to hear the blonde fighter’s young, masculine voice again and because he was sick and tired of Cloud’s gang getting in ShinRa’s way.  Couldn’t they see the company was trying to save the planet?  He turned around and motioned for the ogling captain and crew to keep loading the materia.  His tourmaline eyes scanned Cloud’s form with seeming casualty, but his heart was pounding as he assured himself the other man was fully intact and well.  Tifa was standing on the blonde’s left and Hojo’s lion specimen was standing on his right.  Behind the three of them were the rest of Cloud’s friends.  Reno waved over some grunts to his side but he knew they’d be little help.

 

            “Can’t let you do that, Blondie,” Reno said after taking a moment to find his voice.  “We need that materia.”

 

            “Don’t you get it?!” Cloud yelled, “We’re trying to save the planet!”

 

            Reno gave him an incredulous look.  “Well, we’re trying to save the motherfucking planet too, jackass!  Did ya ever think of that?”

 

            Cloud’s eyes narrowed.  “You’re going about it the wrong way.  The huge materia is a lot more than fancy explosives, Reno.  We could show you—“

 

            “I don’t wanna hear it,” Reno snapped.  “I’m here to do a job and I’ve known ShinRa a helluva lot longer than I’ve known you.  I trust ‘em to take care of this.  How’d you live through that mess at the crater anyhow, Strife?”  He asked the question as much out of curiosity as to stall for time.  He didn’t dare look over his shoulder to see whether the huge materia was loaded onto the sub or not.

 

            “I had help,” Cloud said with a sidelong smirk at Tifa.  He looked over Reno’s shoulder and swore.  The Turk heard the horn coming from the carrier sub and he knew it was ready to leave with the materia. 

 

            “That’s enough talk,” Cloud snarled as he drew yet another new sword and pointed it at the Turk. 

 

            Reno’s grunts started forward while the redhead quickly improvised and reached into his blazer for the remote he had.  He activated it and moved away while Strife’s group made short work of the grunts.  Reno risked a look toward the underwater exit and he sighed with relief when the sub carrying the materia left through it.  Now all he had to do was stall the enemy long enough for the vessel to reach safe harbor for transport to Midgar.

 

            Cloud stared as the mechanical unit that Reno had activated came tromping into view.  It was a carrier automation, designed to help transport heavy loads.  Like most ShinRa technology however, it was capable of attacking intruders as well.  The lion creature howled furiously as one of the mechanical arms caught him around the waist and hoisted him off the ground.  Cloud and the others quickly attacked the mechanism to free him and Reno pulled out his gun and fired a shot to make the ninja girl’s launched weapon go off course.  There was answering gunfire and Reno swore as his weapon was shot out of his hand.  He looked up to see the eerie, black-haired gunman aiming a formidable looking gun at him and he rubbed his smarting hand and wisely backed off.

 

            “Deactivate the robot,” The Wutaian gunner ordered coldly.

 

            “I can’t,” Reno said truthfully.  “Once the defense program is on it won’t stop until it’s destroyed or the threat is gone.”

 

            The gunman scowled at him.  “Of course,” he said in a rough tone.

 

            The arm holding the lion creature prisoner dropped to the floor with a crash as Strife slashed through it.  The feline picked himself up off the floor and shook his great head to clear it before pouncing on the base of the mechanical construction and tearing at the wires with teeth and claws.  Reno would have been impressed, except at that moment the gunman that had ordered him to turn the machine off began to change forms.  The Turk stared with wide eyes as the raven-haired man screamed and his body began to bulge.  Moments later, a hulking creature with numerous stitches and bolts sticking out of its neck stood in the gunman’s place.

 

            _~So that night in the mansion, that werewolf thing was him, too?  Shit, I think I’m gonna pass out!~_

Reno stubbornly blinked back stars and grabbed hold of the railing behind him to keep himself upright as the monster that had been a man howled and released a great, webbed surge of electricity at the carrier robot.  The charge short-circuited a few of its functions and the mechanism moved jerkily, without any real focus.  Barret fired at it from his gunarm, blowing holes in the hard shell of its body.  Tifa performed a devastating series of martial attacks on the robot, while Cid jumped high in the air and speared it with his oversized harpoon.  The ninja girl retrieved her throwing weapon and hurled it at the top of the carrier’s body, taking off a chunk of metal.  The monster that the gunman had turned into was pounding into it with abandon and the lion was still chewing and scratching at it.  Cait Sith activated a bolt spell and struck it several times.

 

            The robot ended up as a pile of wires, metal and gears.  Reno drew his EMR as Cloud approached but he was still in a state of shock from witnessing the gunman transform and the blonde was too fast for him.  Cloud caught the Turk’s wrist and pinned him against the railing, his sapphire eyes boring into Reno’s.

 

            “You tried to kill my friends,” Strife said in a low, dangerous tone.

 

            “No, I tried to stall ‘em,” Reno corrected with a glare of his own.

 

            “I mean the execution,” elaborated the blonde.

 

            “What the hell makes you think I had the power to order that?” Reno snapped, “That wasn’t my call, man.”

 

            Cait Sith intervened.  “He wasn’t responsible, lad.  If anything, ye owe Reno some thanks.”

 

            “What are you talking about?” Cloud asked without taking his eyes off the redhead.

 

            Reno looked at the cat with alarmed eyes and shook his head.  Cloud caught the motion and his angry expression faded into confusion and curiosity.  “What did you do, Reno?”

 

            “Let’s just say our lovely lass and our large coal mining friend might not be here, if it weren’t for this lad,” Cait Sith said evasively.  “Don’t we have somewhere we need ta be, Cloud?”

 

            The golem-like monster standing beside the cat seemed to shrink, and the dark gunman again stood there.  Vapors rose from his body and his crimson eyes studied Reno with recognition.  “We should leave him,” he suggested, “Not everything is as it appears, Cloud.  I know this better than most.”

 

            Reno didn’t know what was more disturbing; the knowledge that two of Strife’s companions knew he’d gone against direct orders to try and help him more than once, or the fact that the man he’d mistaken for a corpse once was staring so hard at him.  Reno heard shouting behind him and he saw several grunts running down the ramp from the remaining submarine to rescue him.

 

            “Just get out of here and keep the other sub safe!” The Turk hollered.

 

            Cloud glared at him and threw him to the ground.  Before Reno could recover, the blonde fighter and his friends were running toward the submarine.  He climbed to his feet and reached for his cell, intending to get in touch with someone and let them know Strife was about to hijack one of the subs.  He pulled the device out and groaned when it fell apart in his hands.  His cellphone was broken.  He chucked the useless cell into the water and swore violently as he watched Strife’s team cut through the opposition and steal the sub.

 

            _~What the hell does Strife think he can do with the huge materia that’ll stop Meteor?~_

~*******************************************~

 

            _I got out of there as soon as I could and I went straight to Headquarters and told Rufus what happened.  By the time I did that, Cloud had already caught up with the cargo sub and taken the huge materia.  We got in touch with Rude and told him to double-up on security because we knew Rocket Town would be Strife’s next stop._

_Think that did any good?  Hell no. They showed up just like we knew they would and Rude made a great effort to hold ‘em off, but he was outnumbered and his backup was no match for Strife’s group.  We figured our plan was doomed then, but the rocket launched anyway—with Cloud and his posse in it!_

_We could see it go up all the way from Midgar and I wondered if Strife and the others would find a way to get out before they went kaboom with the rocket, yo.  I didn’t have anyway of knowing and there was a tightness in my chest I didn’t like one bit while I watched the explosion when the rocket hit Meteor.  The only thing that made it a little better was the chance that it might have done some good, but all it did was chip away some of the surface.  For all I knew, Blondie was dead and so were all of his friends…and we still had a killer rock getting ready to eat our planet._

_Talk about depressing._

~************************************~

 

            Rufus called a meeting with his most trusted Turks after the rocket failed to stop Meteor.  He left Scarlet, Heidegger and Hojo out of it because by now he knew that the three of them had their own motives and he was certain that there were things they were still hiding from him.  There was more to it than Sephiroth and Meteor.  He’d found traces of information about something called “Deep Ground” that his father had been working on and he had strong suspicions that of Scarlet and Heidegger, at least one of them knew something about it.

 

            “This meeting will be brief and to the point,” Rufus informed his Turks.  “Things are falling apart quickly and the only hope we have left is for the Sister Ray to break through the barrier Sephiroth raised around the Crater, to give an assault team a chance to go in and stop him.”

 

            “Who will this assault team be, Sir?” Elena questioned.

 

            Rufus smiled without humor.  “Cloud Strife and his companions.  It’s only fitting, considering that it’s their goal in the first place and they’ve already gotten in our way so completely that nothing we’ve tried has succeeded.  We’ll give him what he wants and open the way for him.  I’ve resolved myself to the fact that his team is the only one capable of stopping this, if it can be done at all.”

 

            “Uh, does he know we’re on his side now?” Reno asked.

 

            “I haven’t exactly had the time to chat with him,” Rufus said dryly.  “Preparations are being made by Hojo to fire the Sister Ray at the Crater.  Once that’s accomplished, it’s up to Strife.”

 

            “Sir,” Tseng asked softly, “Are you certain that Hojo can be trusted to do his job?”

 

            “No,” Rufus answered without hesitation, “but at this point we have nothing to lose and I’m sure he’s aware that he’ll die with the planet if he fails to do his part.  Your jobs are to make sure the cannon fires as planned and to help begin the evacuation of Midgar.  Meteor is directly above us and this city is going to take the brunt of the damage first.  Reeve is already on the job.”

 

            Reno swallowed at the mention of Reeve.  The head of the Urban Development department had been strangely absent for a while and he thought he was in hiding.  He knew he wasn’t dead because Cait Sith was still with Cloud’s party, acting on his orders.  Rufus’s sharp eyes caught his as if reading his thoughts.

 

            “I’ve had Mr. Tuesti lying low under my protection,” Rufus explained.  “His usefulness outweighs his betrayal and he’s convinced me to give Strife’s team a chance.  You are the only ones who know of this and that’s how I intend for it to stay.  Nobody—not even the other Turks—are to know.  Is that understood?”

 

            There were nods of consent all around and Rufus stood up.  “That’s all, for now.  Go into the city and begin escorting people out.  I’m sure you can figure out where the top priorities lie.”  He looked directly at Reno as he said this, silently giving him permission to go to his mother first.  Reno nodded and mouthed his thanks.  Rufus dismissed them and took a seat behind his desk again.  Tseng hesitated on his way out of the office, looking over his shoulder at the blonde with an odd expression on his sculpted features.

 

            “Is there something you wish to say, Tseng?” Rufus murmured.

 

            The Wutaian hesitated.  The strangest feeling had come over him as he was leaving…like he may never see his boss and lover again.  He smiled gently at Rufus, knowing that if the feeling he had was accurate, there was nothing he could do about it.  “You helped me find myself, Koibito.  I’ll never forget that.”

 

            Rufus’s gray eyes warmed and softened on him.  “Likewise, Tseng.  Do take care of yourself.”

 

            Tseng nodded and bowed respectfully before closing the office door behind him.

 

~************************************~

 

            “So we’re going to get your Mom first, right?” Rude asked as he, Reno, Elena and Tseng stepped outside of the Headquarters building.

 

            “Yeah, I want to get her out first,” Reno insisted. 

 

            “Understandable,” Tseng replied.  “Come, we’ll take my car.”  He led them into the parking garage and they piled into the vehicle.  “I hope she’ll understand that she can only take necessities, until this is resolved.”

 

            “You don’t have to worry about that,” Reno smirked, “Ma’s still not used to having much of anything.  She’s lived her whole life poor so she’s a practical lady.”

 

            Tseng nodded in approval and drove out of the parking garage and onto the street.  Reno gave him directions to his mother’s house and they arrived there shortly.  Tseng and Elena waited in the car while Reno and Rude went inside to collect Mrs. Flynn and help her pack.  A short time later she emerged from the house with her son close to her side. 

 

            “He really loves his mother,” Elena observed aloud, surprise in her voice.

 

            “Why does this surprise you?” Tseng questioned the young woman.

 

            “I guess I’m just used to him being…Reno.”  She remarked, making Tseng smile.

 

            “It’s gonna be okay Ma,” Reno said as he opened the door and helped Lena into the passenger seat.  “We’re taking you to the airport and there’s an airship waiting there to take you to Kalm until this is over with.  I’ve already booked you a room at the Inn and everything.  Oh, this is our boss Tseng, and the blonde lady is another coworker of mine, Elena.”

 

            “Pleased to meet you both,” Reno’s mother said as calmly as possible.  She peered out the car window up at the sky, where Meteor hovered menacingly.  “Reno, I’d like for you to come with me, dear.”

 

            Reno slid into the seat beside her and put an arm around her.  “You know I can’t, Ma.  I’ve got to help get people out of Midgar.  I promise, I’ll come get you as soon as this mess is over with.”

 

            She looked at him searchingly.  “Do you really think it can be stopped?”

 

            Reno shot a look at Rude, who had settled into the back seat next to Elena.  “We’re gonna do our best.”

 

            Rude nodded in agreement.

 

~********************************************~

 

            They arrived at the airport and the Turks were escorting Reno’s mother and carrying her few pieces of luggage to the waiting airship when sirens began to go off in the city.  Reno paused and shared concerned looks with his companions as an announcement was made that the Diamond Weapon was advancing on the city.

 

            “Reno, come with me!” Lena insisted urgently, tugging at his arm.  Her eyes were wide and frightened with the kind of fear only a parent could know for the safety of her child.

 

            Reno stared at her for a minute and then hugged her tightly.  “We already talked about this,” he said against her ear.  “Get on the ship, Ma.  I’ll be okay.”  He gently pushed her away, toward the crewmembers that were ushering people onto the ramp and loading the cargo bay with bags.  “Get her outta here!”  He yelled when she struggled to hang onto him.  He gave Rude a pleading look and the bald man carefully helped peel his mother off of him and he picked her up and carried her onto the aircraft.

 

            “Reno!” Lena Flynn cried raggedly as she was carried away from her son.

 

            “Just get her out,” Reno shouted again to the crewmembers that took her from Rude.  “Trust me, Ma…I’ll come and get you later!”  His voice broke on the last sentence as his mother was taken into the airship and her fearful, loving face disappeared from his view.  He felt a hand squeezing his shoulder and he was a little surprised to find that it belonged to Elena.  She didn’t say anything to him, just offered silent support.  He smiled a little and patted her hand thankfully.

 

            They waited until the doors were shut on the craft and the engine started, then they began walking back to Tseng’s car.  Reno kept glancing over his shoulder as the airship slowly lifted off of the pad and turned.  Rude put an arm around him and he leaned gratefully into the half-embrace, while Tseng gave him a respectful nod.

 

            Tseng’s cellphone rang and the Wutaian paused and put it to his ear.  “This is Tseng.  Hello, Reeve.  Yes, the airship just left with a load of evacuees—including Reno’s mother.  Oh, are they?  How can they hope to…hmm, I see.  Please keep us informed, then.”  He had to cup a hand over his other ear to hear what Reeve said next, due to the noise from the aircrafts.  “Can you repeat that, Reeve?”  He frowned and glanced at the other Turks, provoking confused looks from them.  His dark eyes lifted and fixated on the ShinRa tower and some of the color drained from his face.  “I believe you’re right.  The landlines could be down, which would explain why he isn’t answering.  We’ll attempt to reach him on his mobile and warn him.  Good thinking, Reeve…and good luck.”  Tseng hit the end button and immediately speed-dialed another number.

 

            “What’s going on, man?” Reno asked tensely.

 

            “Reeve made a very good point,” responded the black-haired Turk as he put the phone to his ear again, “When the first Weapon attacked Junon, it aimed directly at ShinRa headquarters there.  These creatures are sentient and their anger is directed at the Company for the time being.  Rufus needs to get out of that tower before the Diamond Weapon gets within range.  AVALANCHE is fighting the Weapon now but it’s unlikely that they can stop it.  Sister Ray is powering up to fire on it but it will take time.”

 

            Reno and Elena’s eyes were bugging out.  “Cloud’s gang is fighting the Weapon?” Elena cried, “They’re crazy!”

 

            “Shit, we’ve gotta get him out of there,” Reno exclaimed as he looked up at the looming ShinRa tower.

 

            “I’m doing my best,” Tseng assured with a hint of annoyance in his tone.  “Why don’t the rest of you try to reach Scarlet, Heidegger and Hojo to tell them.  Our chances of getting the President safely out will increase if they’re aware of this risk too.”

 

            Reno wasted no time pulling out his new cellphone and the other Two Turks did the same.  They moved away from one another so that they could hear the other line clearly.  Tseng sighed with relief when Rufus picked up on the other line and he immediately told him to make his way out of the building.

 

~************************************~

 

            “I’m afraid there’s no time for that, Tseng,” Rufus said as he stood at his office window and looked out.  From his vantage point he was getting a marvelous view of the sunset, as well as a clear view of the enormous creature steadily lurching toward Midgar.  It appeared wounded, but not defeated.  Its single-minded determination was obvious and he knew he wouldn’t make it halfway down the building before it attacked…unless the cannon fired before it got the chance.

 

            “Sir, I must insist that you evacuate the premises now,” Tseng reiterated, fear creeping into his voice.  “Please, Koibito.  Strife and his friends are buying time and—“

 

            “Strife failed to stop it,” Rufus interrupted calmly.  “I can see it approaching from my window and there’s no point in my attempting to get out now.  If the Sister Ray fires on time I’ll leave the premises.”

 

            “But…Sir…”  Tseng’s voice died and Rufus could hear him swallow. 

 

The President caressed the cellphone at his ear and smiled.  “Find shelter, Tseng.  Make your way out of Midgar with the others, if you can.  Goodbye.”

 

Rufus hung up the phone and slipped it into his blazer, patting the pocket where it rested.  He sighed and clasped his hands behind his back, glancing around the office absently.  He caught sight of the lounge chair against the back wall where the hidden panel was located and his eyes narrowed.  He’d forgotten about his safe and all of the pictures of his mother he kept in it.  Turning away from the spectacle of the approaching menace out his window, he crossed the room and pulled the lounge aside.  He pressed against the panel until it opened and he dialed the correct combination on the safe.  When it clicked, he pulled it open and reached inside for the small box containing the only objects that had ever been precious to him.

 

One was an old bangle that had belonged to his mother.  The materia fused into it still glowed with power and he shrugged and clamped it over his left wrist absently as he leafed through the old photos of his mother.

 

~******************************************~

 

            “Yo, I’m not having any luck with Heidegger,” Reno reported as he hung up the phone and approached Tseng.  He saw the look on his superior’s face and he frowned.  “Did you get the boss or not?”

 

            Tseng nodded.  “He won’t leave,” he said flatly.

 

            “What??  Why?” Reno nearly yelled.

 

            “There’s no time,” explained Tseng tonelessly as he stared at nothing.  “He said that he could see the Weapon from his office and it’s still advancing.  Cloud’s group failed to stop it.  Our only chance is if the Sister Ray powers up and fires before Diamond Weapon does.”

 

            Rude and Elena heard and they stopped trying to reach Hojo and Scarlet.  All four of the Turks looked up at the tower, where the cannon was building energy.  Tseng’s phone rang again and he answered it in a dull voice.

 

            “Tseng?  This is Reeve.  They threw everything they had at that thing but it’s still advancing.  Has Rufus left Headquarters, or at least gotten to the lower floors?”

 

            “No,” answered the Wutaian in a dead tone.

 

            “Hey look, I think it’s about to fire,” Reno said excitedly as he pointed up at the cannon.

 

            Tseng’s heart thudded in his chest and his hopes rose as glowing bands of energy raced along the length of the cannon’s barrel.  He didn’t even hear Reeve’s questions as he held his breath and waited for Sister Ray to fire.  The light was blinding when the weapon shot its gathered energy out over the city and in the direction that the Diamond Weapon was approaching from.  There was a roar that shook the ground and shattered windows throughout the city and the Turks knew that the shot had hit the advancing creature.

 

            “Thank Shiva,” Tseng breathed.  The noise was so loud he couldn’t even hear his own voice.

 

            Reno’s broad grin abruptly dropped, to be replaced by a look of horror.  An answering mass of several beams of energy returned fire from the direction of the Diamond Weapon, shooting straight for the ShinRa tower where Rufus was.

 

            “RUFUS!” Screamed Reno.

 

~************************************~

 

            Rufus heard the roar and the crack of his office windows’ glass when the cannon fired.  He stood up and turned around to face the windows to see if Sister Ray had done the job.  He saw the Diamond Weapon falling in the distance but it had evidently managed to launch its own attack first.  He saw the white-hot beams shooting toward him and the building shook as it was hit in various places.

 

            “Oh, hell,” the President murmured as one streaked directly toward his office. 

 

~********************************************~

 

-To be continued           

 


	19. Chapter 19

“Thanks for the Memories”

A Reno fan fiction

Chapter 19: “Meteorfall”

~*******************************************~

*Disclaimer:  Final Fantasy and all characters therein belong to Square-Enix.  This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can’t get enough of this world and the characters.* 

~***********************************************~

 

 

            “Rufus!”  Reno started forward, risking charging right into flying debris and glass.  Rude caught him around the waist and held him tight, pressing him against the wall of a building as sharp scrap metal and glass rained down.  Tseng and Elena likewise pressed together.

 

            “Stop it, Red,” Rude grunted as his slim partner tried to wriggle out of his grasp. 

 

            “We’ve gotta get to him!” Reno shouted, his emotions making him uncoordinated and clumsy. 

 

            “There’s nothing we can do,” Tseng tried to reason, but Reno didn’t want to hear any of it.

 

            “Let go of me!” The redhead shouted against Rude’s chest. 

 

            Luckily for Rude his strength at the moment was greater than Reno’s coordination and he kept his partner pinned to the wall firmly until the danger of shrapnel and glass died down.  By then, Reno was sagging against him in exhaustion and pain.  The smaller man was panting heavily but he wasn’t crying—at least, not outwardly.

 

            There was the sound of sirens as the fire brigade and ShinRa enforcement got to work on the streets to put out flames and rescue trapped civilians.  The Turks stood numbly against the wall of the reception building of the airport, each of them struggling with the realization that the President was gone.  Tseng was dignified and silent in his grief, while Elena cried softly against his chest.  Rude was stoic and supportive of Reno, who was shivering against him and snarling in denial.

 

            Tseng’s phone rang and he reached into his pocket for it with numb fingers and brought it to his ear.  “This is Tseng,” he said huskily.

 

            “Tseng, this is Heidegger,” answered a rough voice, “We need backup from the Turks.  AVALANCHE is trying to climb the tower and destroy Sister Ray.  Get your people here immediately!”

 

            Tseng frowned, wondering why on Gaia Cloud’s group would want to destroy the cannon that could give them a chance to get past Sephiroth’s barrier and stop him.  “Are you certain the purpose is to destroy it?” he asked dubiously.

 

            “Yes!  Now, get up here and help protect it from these terrorists!”  The gruff man hung up without waiting for a response.

 

            Tseng sighed heavily and addressed his fellow Turks.  “We’ll have to grieve for Rufus later.  Right now there’s a matter that requires our attention.  That was Heidegger and apparently Strife and his friends are trying to destroy Sister Ray.”

 

            “Why would they do that?” Rude asked with a frown.

 

            “I…don’t know,” Tseng admitted.  “There’s something very strange about this.  We need to at least investigate, but don’t act in haste.”  He looked at Reno searchingly.  “Can you put your feelings aside for now, Kitsune?  We need you.”  He turned to Elena next, who was wiping her eyes with a handkerchief from her blazer.  “You too, Elena.  We can’t afford to be weak right now.  Can you pull yourself together?”

 

            Reno closed his eyes and nodded, shoving the ache of loss deep down so that he could do his job.  “Count on it, yo.”  His voice was unsteady but his body was willing.

 

            Elena likewise nodded, sniffling one last time before straightening her shoulders and putting her handkerchief away.  “For the Turks,” she said.

 

~*****************************************~

 

            The Turks didn’t even make it to the tower before running into Strife’s team.  The streets had so much debris, firefighting vehicles and roadblocks that they had to take the tunnels to reach the entrance to the tower.  They were halfway there when Cloud’s team came around the bend right in front of them.  Both groups stopped in their tracks and stared at one another.

 

            “Well, come on,” Elena cried, wanting to take out her aggression on someone, “Let’s go!”

 

            Cloud looked at her with narrowed eyes, then at Reno.  Something changed in his expression when he looked at Reno’s face—perhaps he saw the loss in the redhead’s eyes.  “Let’s not,” he said with a shrug, sheathing his sword.  “I don’t know what you’ve been told but the cannon’s already destroyed the barrier around the crater.  Hojo plans to use it now to make a bigger wound in the planet to give Sephiroth more energy.”

 

            The Turks looked at each other uncertainly and one by one, they looked behind them to Tseng, who was holding his side as if it pained him.  Tseng looked at Cait Sith.  “Is this true?” he questioned.  “Can Reeve confirm this?”

 

            “Aye, that he can,” the automated cat answered.  “He should be calling ye any minute, in fact.”

 

            “I thought you croaked,” Yuffie said to Tseng.

 

            “Not quite, young woman,” The Turk leader said softly.  His cellphone rang a moment later and he took it out and put it to his ear.  “Tseng, here.”  He listened for a moment with narrowed eyes.  “His son, is he?  I must admit, I’m surprised.  Very well, thank you for confirming it, Reeve.”  He put the phone away and nodded at the other Turks. 

 

            Reno met Cloud’s eyes and something passed between them that he couldn’t quite understand.  “Take care of it, man.”

 

            “We will,” Cloud promised.  He motioned to his friends and they continued down the tunnel, leaving the Turks standing where they were.

 

            Tseng leaned against the wall and took a deep breath.  Rude quickly supported him and Elena combed stray locks of black hair away from his eyes.  “You’re pushing yourself too hard,” the blonde woman said.  “You’ll re-open your wounds if you aren’t careful.”

 

            Tseng shook his head.  “N-no, they closed them in the hospital.  It’s only muscle strain and remaining weakness from the infection.  I just need to rest for a moment.”

 

            “What was that business about a son?” Reno wanted to know.

 

            “Sephiroth,” Tseng answered faintly.  “It seems he’s Hojo’s son.”

 

            The Turks stared at him in astonishment and Reno exploded, “Nah, there’s no way that ugly freak could have had a son that looks like Sephiroth.  I mean…look at Hojo!  Sephiroth is…well he’s hot.  Hojo’s face looks like somebody’s foot, man.”

 

            Tseng managed a soft chuckle at that and he looked at Reno fondly.  “I imagine he must have taken after his mother in appearance,” he whispered.  “Look at Rufus’s father, if you need an example of how some sons don’t resemble their sires.”

 

            Reno’s throat closed up at the mention of Rufus.  He nodded and blinked.  “Yeah, if you put it that way I guess I can believe it.”

 

            The other Turks helped Tseng to sit down and they squatted near him.  Reno had a flask of whiskey in his blazer and he took it out and offered it to the Wutaian.  He half expected him to refuse it but Tseng accepted it with a grateful nod and sipped at it gingerly.  Water would have been better but the last thing on any of their minds before going into the tunnel was picking up rations of any sort.

 

~*************************************~

 

            _~Interesting…the afterlife is strangely painful and cramped.~_

 

            He tried to stretch his muscles but he was crammed into a fetal position.  It felt like he was surrounded by cool metal walls and he could feel something under his palm that felt like stiff paper.  He felt with his fingers, examining the glossy surface of the paper squares under his palm.  He frowned in confusion and knocked on the walls with his knuckles.  Whatever he was in was very solid and very sealed.  His lungs were aching and he realized that he had limited air to breathe.

 

            His memories came back and he realized where he was and what had happened.  Unfortunately, he couldn’t get himself out.  He cursed softly and winced as he maneuvered as best he could in his cramped space, digging for the item that he hoped was still there.  He felt it in his inner left pocket after a moment and he pulled it out with effort and made use of it, unable to tell for certain whom he was contacting, due to his blurred vision.

 

~******************************~

 

            Reno swore a vile curse as his cellphone rang.  “Of all the fucking times…who the hell?”  He put the phone to his ear and snapped: “What the fuck do you want?” without even looking at the number.

 

            “R-Reno?”

 

            The redhead’s blue-green eyes dilated until they were nearly black with pupil and widened.  He nearly dropped the cellphone and he juggled it for a moment and shoved it back against his ear.  “Sir?  Rufus?  Tell me it’s you, baby…is it you?”

 

            “Apparently it is,” the weak voice answered, somehow retaining a tone of dry irony despite the evident pain in it. 

 

            “YO, IT’S RUFUS!!” Reno hollered.  His companions winced at the volume of his voice and his announcement echoed through the tunnels, but as soon as they comprehended what he’d said they rose to their feet with astonished expressions…even Tseng.

 

            “Please, my head aches as it is,” Rufus gasped. 

 

            Reno forced his voice down to a less shrill volume and swallowed.  “Sorry, boss.  Where are you?”

 

            “In…my safe, I believe.  I was…in my office when the explosion happened.  I can’t talk for long…not enough air.  I’m trapped.”  Rufus was gasping for breath as he spoke.

 

            Reno immediately started down the tunnel that would lead him beneath the ShinRa Headquarters, motioning hastily for the others.  Rude and Elena helped Tseng to his feet and followed hastily. 

 

“We’re coming for you, Sir,” Reno said breathlessly, “Just hold on, okay?”

 

“Listen,” Rufus said, “Track my cellphone.  I don’t know…how long I can stay conscious.  You know how to use the signal to track?”

 

“Yeah,” Reno said, picking up the pace until he was practically jogging.  He tripped and swore as he almost fell on his face and he remembered to raise his flashlight so he could see where he was stepping.  “Just conserve your air, boss.  Don’t go anywhere.”

 

“And where would I go?” Rufus questioned dryly.

 

Reno grinned painfully.  “You know I didn’t mean physically, Sir.  Stay alive for us.”

 

“Of course,” Rufus promised.  “I’ll see you soon, Fox.”

 

~*********************************~

 

            _The next hour was more terrifying for me than watching the Weapons attacking both cities.  I went from thinking that my first lover, my protector and the man that changed my life was gone forever to finding out he was alive and only had a short window to stay that way.  It was like one of those horror movies where the person’s running down a hall and it keeps getting longer and longer, or knowing a bomb’s gonna go off and kill someone you love but not being sure how long you had to disarm it._

_I knew the others were just as worried as I was and it had to be really hard on Tseng, being sick like he was and having known Rufus longer than any of us.  He was a real trooper though.  He didn’t complain once and he pushed us to move faster…even though I was ahead of everyone the whole time by a good ten feet._

_I think the only other time I was ever this freaked was that day when Rufus and his old man pulled guns on each other in his office.  It was scary and not just because I might lose him.  It scared me because I felt so damned much for him.  It’s funny how much the risk of losing something makes you appreciate it more, ya know?_

~********************************~

 

            “He’s gotta be in this room,” Reno muttered as he and the others traced the signal with their cellphones.  There were pieces of wood, metal, glass and concrete all over the place.  The front window that used to display such a magnificent view of the city was imploded and gaping open, letting the dry air from the city waft in.  Rude eased Tseng down onto what was left of a lounge chair and Elena stayed with him while the bald man helped Reno sift through the ruin to find the safe Rufus said he was in. 

 

            After several moments, Reno finally honed in on the signal and realized why they hadn’t found the safe right away.  It was lodged into the wall.  “Over here,” he called to his partner as he shoved pieces of wreckage aside to make an opening.  He knocked on the blackened metal of the safe door and there was a weak, answering knock from within.  “He’s in here!”

 

            Rude squatted at the redhead’s side and examined the safe.  “Titanium,” he announced.  “Heat resistant, too.  No wonder it didn’t melt.  Do you know the combination?”

 

            Reno bit his lip and shook his head.  “Sir, we need the combination to open the safe,” he called.  There was no answer and he shared a worried look with Rude.

 

            “I’ll try to call him,” Tseng said from across the room.  He dialed the number and waited.  Reno and Rude could hear it ringing but Rufus never answered.

 

            “Rufus?” the redhead inquired as he knocked on the metal again.  This time there was no answering knock.

 

            “I could go downstairs to the arms department and get something to blow it with,” Elena suggested.

 

            Reno almost told her not to but if he couldn’t get the lock open it might be the only way to free Rufus before he suffocated.  “Yeah, maybe you should start heading down there while I try to crack this safe,” he said upon reflecting for a moment.  “We don’t have any time to waste.  We’ll call if I get it open, yo.”

 

            Elena nodded and hurried out while Reno knelt in front of the safe and motioned Rude to shine his flashlight over it.  “Try to be quiet while I’m doing this,” Reno said.  He hadn’t cracked a combo lock in years and he was out of practice.  He took a deep breath and forced his nerves down as he put his ear to the safe and started turning the dial.

 

            Roughly ten minutes later, the redhead was sweating and his hands were shaking with the fear that his boss had already expired inside of the safe.  _~Come on Reno…you can do this!  Just think of it like you’re tuning a car or something…don’t think about anything else!~_

            He was just about to give up and call Elena to tell her to hurry when he heard the click he’d been waiting for.  Reno’s eyes popped wide and he gasped as he tugged on the handle.  While the safe was heat resistant there was still some damage to the seams and he didn’t have the strength he needed to get the door open.

 

            “Rude, help me out, man,” he grunted, “I’ve got it unlocked but I can’t get it open!”

 

            Rude set the flashlight down and took hold of the handle, adding his muscle to the effort.  After a few seconds of effort, they pried the safe door open and Rufus Shinra tumbled out.  Reno immediately pulled him into his lap and shook him desperately.

 

            “Sir?  Rufus?!  You’re out…breathe, man!”

 

            Rufus coughed and his eyes fluttered open groggily.  His hair looked gray, it was so full of soot and dust.  His lips were cracked and peeling but he gave Reno a confident, crooked smirk as soon as his eyes focused on him.  Reno hugged the young President tightly, unmindful of the tears that squeezed out from beneath his eyelids to drip down his cheeks and onto Rufus’s soiled clothes.  Tseng breathed a sigh of relief and called Elena to let her know they’d gotten Rufus out.

 

            “Oxygen…is…an…issue,” Rufus gasped.

 

            “Sorry boss,” Reno muttered, wiping his eyes and loosening his embrace.  He impulsively started giving the blonde mouth-to-mouth, forgetting in his enthusiasm that the technique was meant to be used on people that weren’t breathing.

 

            Rufus pushed weakly at Reno’s shoulder and shook his head.  “I can breathe on my own,” he rasped with a hint of annoyance.  “I just meant…not to hold so tightly.”

 

            “Oh yeah,” Reno said sheepishly, grinning at his lover. 

 

            “We should get him out of here,” Tseng suggested.  “He needs fresh air and medical attention, and Meteor could begin falling at any time.”

 

            Reno thought about it and remembered all of the ShinRa choppers on the roof of Headquarters.  With any luck, the hit from Diamond Weapon hadn’t damaged all of them.  “The roof isn’t far from here,” he said, “As soon as Elena gets back up here we can take him to the roof and load him onto a chopper…if we can find one that’s still operational.”

 

            “Pictures,” Rufus demanded weakly, flopping his hand toward the safe.

 

            Rude peered into it and found several scattered photos inside.  He stacked them together carefully and put them in his blazer to keep them safe.  “I have them, sir.”

 

            Rufus nodded and passed out again.

 

~********************************~

 

            Luck was with them when they reached the roof.  Many of the ShinRa helicopters were damaged but Reno found three that were still air-worthy and he chose the one with the fullest tank and started it up while Rude carried the President into it and Elena supported Tseng.

 

            “This is Fox nineteen, requesting medical staff, over,” Reno said over the comm. Unit after slipping the headphones and mic on.  All he got was static, so he tried different channels while the others secured Rufus and themselves into the chopper.  He repeated his request until someone finally answered.

 

            “This is ShinRa air control,” a woman’s voice answered, “Navigation systems are down and there are no available medical units, Fox nineteen.  Over.”

 

            Reno swore, though he wasn’t really surprised that air control was crippled, or that no medical help was available.

 

            “Then give us a location of the nearest town with a decent medical staff.  We’ve rescued President Shinra and we need to take him to a good doctor, over.”  He bit his lip and leaned over to peer into the passenger and cargo area.  Rude had lowered one of the folding cots from the wall and strapped Rufus into it.  Tseng was seated at the head of the cot and he’d found the first aid kit.  He was seeing to Rufus as best he could with what they had but Rufus might have internal injuries that needed treatment.

 

            “You can try Mideel,” the woman answered after a moment, her voice betraying some relief and excitement at the news that Rufus was safe for the moment, “most of the town structures were damaged in a surge of Lifestream, but their were no casualties and they have very good doctors there, over.”

 

            Reno almost asked about Junon as an alternative but considering that the Weapons had targeted major ShinRa cities so far, the suggestion of remote Mideel made more sense.  “We’ll do that, then.  Over.”  He ended the transmission and lifted off.

 

~****************************************~

 

            _We got Rufus to Mideel as fast as we could.  The place was trashed like air control said but they’d already put up a temporary hospital building and some housing.  The doctors there took good care of Rufus and Tseng, even though I was pretty sure they didn’t like ShinRa.  I guess their practice was more important to them than their personal feelings about the company._

 

            _Rufus was awake and aware by the next day and he told us that if Meteor didn’t destroy Gaia, he had new plans for what was left of ShinRa.  He wouldn’t go into details right away, saying there was no point unless the planet was saved.  Reeve called and told us he was staying in Midgar to keep up the evacuation while Cloud’s gang went to the Northern Crater to try and stop Sephiroth._

_Rufus talked to Reeve and told him not to mention he was still alive.  He said if we all lived through this, he wanted to work behind the scenes and avoid attention for a while.  I couldn’t really blame him for that but the reason I thought he was doing it was because he didn’t want to deal with any more attacks against him or the company, yo.  His real reasons were a lot more complicated than that._

~****************************************~

 

            Reno walked beside his boss down the little path winding out of Mideel.  The villagers were going to rename the place “Healin”, because the quiet, peaceful little community was so dedicated to helping the wounded recover it just made more sense to them.  The President and the Turk crossed a trickling brook and tried to ignore the angry red color of the sky above them, as well as the increasing proximity of the Meteor.  Reno walked with his hands in his pockets and his eyes on the path, comforted by the presence of his boss.

 

            “So I saw those pictures of your Ma that Rude grabbed for you,” the redhead commented softly, looking sidelong at the blonde.  “You look like her.”

 

            Rufus nodded.  “I do,” he agreed.  “Thank Gaia.” 

 

            They smiled at each other and stopped walking.  The President studied his fiery Turk lover for a moment and came to a decision.  “Speaking of mothers, how is yours?”

 

            “She’s doing okay,” Reno shrugged, “she’s in Kalm and I guess she’s as safe as any of us are.”

 

            “Would you like to be with her, Reno?”  Questioned Rufus.

 

            The Turk swallowed and lowered his eyes.  “Yeah, but I can’t leave you,” he murmured.

 

            Rufus reached out and put his hands on his shoulders.  “Spend one more night with me and the others.  You have my permission to travel to Kalm in the morning to be with your mother.”

 

            Reno looked at him with a torn expression on his fair face.  “You sure, boss?”

 

            Rufus gave him one of those rare, warm smiles and he nodded.  “These are likely to be the last days we live to see,” he said truthfully, “and you’re very close to your mother.  Spend time with her while you can, Fox.”

 

            “I feel a little bad for Elena,” Reno said with a frown.  “She doesn’t have any family and she’s kind of left out when it comes to us, if you know what I mean.  I ain’t saying I want her sleeping with us…I just…ah, hell.”

 

            Rufus smirked and shook his head.  “Don’t worry about Elena.  I believe she’s finally given up on Tseng.  Haven’t you noticed the amount of time she’s been spending with that young doctor here?”

 

            Reno’s eyebrows shot up.  “What young doctor?  Oh, the good-looking guy with the brown hair and the tan?”

 

            “That’s the one.  If you’d have been paying attention, you would have noticed that telling little glow about her over the past few days.”

 

            Reno’s jaw dropped.  “Don’t tell me she’s preggers, man.”

 

            Rufus chuckled.  “That isn’t the glow I was talking about.  Just be assured that Elena isn’t deprived of company of the sensual kind.  I doubt she’s had the time to feel any jealousy concerning our activities.”

 

            Reno laughed.  “Good for her.”

 

~***************************************~

 

            That night, Reno experienced more than group sex with Rufus, Rude and Tseng.  They all dropped their barriers and made love to each other all through the night, taking turns with each other or at times, being creative and doing it together as a group.  The room they stayed in was shabby and the beds were lumpy but their minds were totally on each other and they didn’t care.

 

            Reno was exhausted by the time morning came around but he was also feeling oddly exhilarated.  His boss and fellow Turks walked with him to the chopper and exchanged hugs with him before he boarded the chopper, all reservations dropped because they knew it would probably be the last time they saw him.

 

            Rude was standing stiff and still, with his arms crossed over his chest and his jaw tense as he watched the helicopter rotors speed up.  Tseng and Rufus noticed and they exchanged a look between them and nodded to each other.

 

            “Rude,” the President said suddenly, loudly enough to be heard over the chopper engine.  When the bald man looked at him, he nodded towards the aircraft.  “Go with him.”

 

            Rude’s eyebrows went up.  “Sir?”

 

            Rufus smirked.  “She’s practically your mother too, from what I understand.  Go with your partner.”

 

            A faint look of relief and appreciation bled into Rude’s light-brown features and he nodded.  “Thank you, Sir.”  He jogged toward the helicopter, waving to get Reno’s attention.

 

            Reno saw the movement from the corner of his eye and he turned his head to see his partner hurrying to the chopper.  He saw Rufus and Tseng standing close together with Elena  and the two men were watching with calm, approving expressions.  Reno realized what was happening and he took his hand off the stick and grinned widely as Rude made it to the aircraft and pulled the passenger side door open.

 

            Reno impulsively leaned over to hug the bald man and kiss him deeply.  Rude returned the kiss and lectured him softly when a tear slipped down his face.  “Don’t do that to me, partner,” the bald man said as he wiped the moisture away from Reno’s cheek.  “These won’t be our last days, I don’t care what anyone says.”

 

            Reno sniffed and nodded, bringing his emotions under control.  “Right.  Let’s go see Ma, partner.”

 

            He waited for Rude to secure himself in the seat before lifting off.  The two of them looked down at the dwindling figures of their boss and their fellow Turks as the chopper ascended out of the wooded Mideel range and into the red sky. 

 

~******************************************~  

 

            When they arrived at Kalm, they ran into an old friend on their way to the Inn.  Cissnei spotted them across the square and shouted their names.

 

            “I’ll be damned,” Reno said with a grin as the young woman hurried over and hugged him.  He returned the embrace tightly and lifted her a little.  “How you doing, doll?”

 

            She shrugged as he set her back on her feet.  “The same as everyone else, I guess.  I just got here three days ago.  Mr. Tuesti practically shooed me out of Midgar.”

 

            She exchanged a more reserved hug with Rude and smiled at the two of them.  “So where were you guys?”  She leaned closer and whispered, “Is the President okay?”

 

            Rude nodded.  “We came here from Mideel,” he murmured in a low undertone.  “The President is there with Tseng and Elena.”

 

            “Good,” Cissnei sighed with relief.  “Kalm is a little crowded now but you can share my Inn room if you need somewhere to sleep.”

 

            “We came to see my Ma, actually,” Reno said, “I brought her here just before Diamond Weapon attacked Midgar, yo.  Hey, wanna meet her?”

 

            Cissnei considered it and nodded.  “That should be interesting.”

 

            “She’s a lot different from Reno, except for looks,” Rude informed her.  “He must have gotten his personality from his father.”

 

            “Ma’s got a wild streak in her,” Reno argued with a wink, “you just haven’t seen it yet.  Come on, she’s waiting for us.”

 

~*********************************************~

 

            Reno and his mother hugged for a good, long while before releasing each other.  Rude was pleasantly surprised when she hugged him next.

 

            “How are you, Mrs. Flynn?” he asked as he returned the embrace.

 

            “I can’t complain, really,” she said with a little smile.  “This is a lovely little town and the room that Reno put me in is nice and clean.  The food in the little restaurant downstairs is very good, too.”

 

            Reno motioned Cissnei into the room and introduced her.  “Ma, this is Cissnei—another one of my coworkers.”

 

            “Pleasure to meet you, dear,” Lena said as she shook hands with Cissnei.  “Well, it seems we have some catching up to do.  Why don’t we have a seat and talk?

 

~****************************************~

 

            Reno did his best to keep the mood light and Cissnei turned out to be a great help with that—though at first Reno almost freaked out because when his mother asked how they’d met, the Turk girl told the flat-out truth.

 

            “I was being held for ransom and your son came with Rude to negotiate my release,” Cissnei said.  When Reno and Rude stared at her with huge eyes, she shrugged.  “We’ve got a crisis hanging over our heads guys.  Besides, I’m sure your mom already knows more than you’ve told her.”

 

            Reno looked at his mother, who seemed a little taken aback by Cissnei’s blunt honesty but was otherwise unsurprised.  “Oh Reno, I’ve known you weren’t just a pilot for President Shinra for some time now,” Lena said with a laugh when she recovered, “You have too many odd connections for me not to have figured it out eventually.”

 

            “Oh,” Reno said stupidly.  “Uh, Ma…my work is…that is, I never gave you details because we’re not supposed to.”

 

            Lena smiled and reached out to pat his cheek.  “Don’t get yourself into a state, sweetheart.  I know how to stay quiet about things when I have to.  I just wish you’d chosen a career that was a bit less dangerous.  So tell me, how did this situation work out with Cissnei?  Did her kidnappers give you any trouble?”

 

            Reno was so surprised by his mother’s acceptance of the truth that he blurted more of it out before thinking.  “Yeah, actually.  Rude ended up shooting one of ‘em and then we were all caught in a firefight.”

 

            Lena looked at Rude with surprise and a motherly expression of disappointment.  “You shot a man?” she asked.

 

            “Well, uh…” he started with a flush.

 

            “The guy hit Cissnei in the face,” Reno explained.  “That was when Rude shot him.”

 

            Lena’s expression hardened for a moment with remembered abuse at the hands of a violent man.  “Oh, he struck her, did he?”  She smiled at the bald man.  “You’re a good boy, then.”

 

            Cissnei chuckled and Reno stared at his mother.  “MA!” he said in shock.

 

            “What?” Lena responded evenly.  “My boy, if you can be honest, so can I.  A man who would strike a defenseless woman deserves whatever he gets.  I formed that opinion years ago, after a good person made personal sacrifices to protect me.”

 

            Reno felt a lump form in his throat and he cleared it gruffly.  “See Rude?  I told ya.  The lady’s got spunk.”

 

~***********************************~

 

            Reno and Rude shared the second bed in Lena’s Inn room during their stay.  A couple of nights after their arrival, the redhead couldn’t sleep and he didn’t want to wake his partner and mother up, so he went to Cissnei’s room and knocked on her door.

 

            “Hey Cissnei, you awake?” he whispered loudly as he tapped.  A moment later the door opened and the petite brunette stood before him in a full yellow nightgown.  Reno wasn’t used to seeing her out of uniform and he grinned, thinking she looked ridiculously innocent in the gown.

 

            “What are you grinning at?” she whispered as she stood aside to let him in.  “I don’t live in the uniform, you know.”

 

            “I’ve just never seen you looking all sweet and innocent,” he said as he walked in and she closed the door and locked it behind them.  “Plus, you blush easy.”

 

            She sighed and moved to the bed nearest to the open window.  “Figures I’d get compliments like that from a guy that doesn’t even like women.”

 

            Reno shrugged and sat down next to her on the bed, sniffing curiously at the air.  “I like women…I just don’t want to have sex with ‘em.  What’s that smell?  It’s familiar.”

 

            Cissnei didn’t answer.  Instead she pinched a suspicious rolled cigarette out of the ashtray she had sitting on the window seal and brought it to her lips for a deep drag.  She held her breath after inhaling and looked at him expectantly.

 

            “Hey, is that…hash?” Reno inquired with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

 

            She exhaled and coughed a little.  “Like you’ve never smoked it.”  She offered the joint to him and he shrugged and took a hit.

 

            “Just didn’t think you were the sort,” he wheezed before passing it back.

 

            “Not usually,” Cissnei admitted.  “There’s a lot of things I haven’t done, but now I’m thinking I should live a little before I die.”

 

            Reno’s sea-green eyes softened on her.  “Try not to think like that.  You can’t enjoy what you’ve got if you’re focused on what you might lose.”

 

            She took another hit and shrugged, turning around in the bed and crossing her ankles over one another.  She rested her hands on her spread knees and stared up at the sky.  “It’s getting closer,” she murmured.

 

            Reno scooted up beside her and looked out the window at the looming Meteor.  “I guess it is,” he agreed with a frown.

 

            Cissnei put the joint out and looked him in the eye.  “I don’t want to die a virgin.”  Her small hand grabbed hold of his shirt and she pulled him closer.

 

            “Uh…you’re a virgin?” Reno muttered.  He was aware that she was pulling him closer and that her lips were parted.  _~Uh-oh.~_

“Whoa,” Reno blurted, holding her by the shoulders to stop the advance.  “Look doll, I think you’re great and if I were into ladies I’d tap you in a second, but—“

 

            She sighed.  “But you’re gay, I know.”  Her cheeks filled with color and she averted her eyes.  “Sorry, Reno.  You were just here and I know you wouldn’t hurt me.  The guy I really wanted is dead and I just wanted to be with someone before…oh damn, I’m such an idiot!”

 

            He calmed down and patted her shoulders gently.  “You ain’t an idiot, Cissnei.  It’s a normal human reaction to want things like that when you think you’re number’s almost up, okay?  Come here.”  He put an arm around her and hugged her, and she started to cry softly against his chest.  “It ain’t over yet,” he tried to console, but a hot wind suddenly picked up outside and the Inn began to shake.  The shutters on the window flapped violently and Reno yanked Cissnei away and to the floor as the glass shattered.

 

            “Fuck,” he gasped, looking out the shattered window to see Meteor beginning a visible descent.  Red funnels of energy began to drop from the sky like tornados. 

 

            _~So much for my speech about it not being over yet.~_

~*******************************************~

 

            “We’ve got to get underground,” Reno yelled as he burst into his mother’s room.  Rude was already helping her up and covering her with a blanket.  Reno hurried to his mother’s side and put an arm around her and Rude took up the lead to clear the way.  Cissnei got on Lena’s other side to help support her, guessing that the high winds outside would make it hard for everyone to keep their balance.

 

            “The shelter’s at the back of town,” Cissnei yelled as the buffeting winds screamed through the Inn. 

 

            Rude threw an arm out to halt the others as a ceiling beam fell in the hallway.  He moved around it and motioned for them to follow.  The sound of frightened screams and yells could be heard over the wind as they hurried down the hall to the stairs.  Other patrons were trying to get out too but the Turks had started moving sooner than most, not bothering to collect any belongings.  It didn’t take them very long to get outside but the flying debris made it hazardous as they made their way across the village to the underground shelter.  Reno was struck in the temple with a piece of debris and he nearly blacked out from it.

 

            “I’m okay, Ma,” he said as coherently as he could when Lena saw the blood on the side of his head and cried out with alarm.  They lurched through the opening leading into the shelter and found a spot amongst the other frightened refugees and villagers to settle in.  Reno collapsed heavily against the wall and slid down to the floor, dizzy from his head wound.

 

            “Shit, you got hit harder than you let on,” Rude said as he squatted in front of Reno and examined the side of his head.  The redhead was pale and a little green.  “Do you think you’re going to throw up?”

 

            “I dunno,” Reno answered thickly, sucking in a few deep breaths.

 

            “Are there any medical supplies in here?” Hollered Cissnei to the general public while Lena tried to tear off a piece of the blanket around her shoulders to use as a bandage.  Nobody answered immediately because there was too much chaos for anyone to pay attention, so the Turk girl got to her feet and went to look for supplies.

 

            “I told her it wasn’t over,” Reno muttered groggily as Rude produced a handkerchief from his pocket and pressed it firmly against the bleeding head wound. 

 

            Rude grimly kept the pressure on, glad at least that his partner was coherent enough to talk.  It was important to keep him awake and aware until someone could determine if the wound was severe or not.  “You always manage to get yourself hurt, baby.”

 

            Reno gave him a sickly grin and then patted his mother’s hand soothingly.  “I’ll be okay.”

 

            Cissnei returned with a middle-aged woman at her heels.  “This lady’s a doctor,” she said.

 

            The woman knelt in front of Reno and set the bag she was carrying on the floor.  “Let’s have a look at you, dear.”  When Reno obligingly tilted his head and Rude shone his flashlight on the wound, the doctor cleaned the area and nodded, clucking her tongue.  “You’re fortunate, young man.  Head wounds always bleed terribly but this won’t need stitches.  I have other people to see to as well, so all I can do for the moment is clean it and bandage it up.  You might feel a bit queasy but it’s safe for you to rest if you need to.”

 

            Reno held still while the doctor tended his wound, groaning a little when she cleaned it but otherwise voicing no complaints.  After she finished bandaging his head, the doctor gave him a bottle of water to drink and then left him to see to other injured people.

 

The roof of the concrete shelter was a few inches above the ground, with small square windows to enable occupants to see outside.  After a while, the interior of the shelter was lit up from white light that was coming from outside.  It was so bright that they thought it might be lightning at first, but it didn’t flash and it only grew brighter. 

 

“What’s going on out there?” Reno asked, not trusting himself to stand up on his own to see.

 

Cissnei stood on her tiptoes and looked out one of the tiny, reinforced glass windows to see what was going on outside.  She shouted an exclamation and motioned for the others to look.  “Something’s happening…I think the light is trying to drive Meteor away!”

 

Rude helped Reno to stand up and they looked out the window.  There was a gigantic nimbus of pure, sparkling white light surrounding the base of Meteor and it did indeed look like it was pushing it back.  Other people began to look out the window as well and they began to cheer.  Before they could get into a fully exuberant state, however, Meteor pushed back and the two forces began to fight each other.  The winds outside got worse and it seemed like the opposing energy was only going to hasten the destruction of the planet.

 

“So I guess this is it after all,” Rude muttered as he held Reno more tightly against him.

 

“Hold up,” Reno said with a frown of concentration.  “Is my head wound making me see things or is that Lifestream I’m seeing coming out of the ground?”

 

Rude saw it too and so did Cissnei.  All three of the Turks were familiar with the sight, having witnessed the Lifestream absorb Zackary Fair.  The green tendrils came from everywhere and reached up to embrace Meteor while they watched tensely. 

 

“Reno, what is it doing?” Lena asked in confusion.

 

“I’m not sure, Ma,” the redhead answered truthfully.  More Lifestream webbed out from the ground and the earth trembled.  The green light soon overpowered the red from Meteor and the white from whatever force had first tried to oppose it.  It grew so bright it was painful to look at and the witnesses were forced to avert their eyes as it continued to grow brighter.  There was a great rumble and Reno peered through his fingers with watery eyes, struggling to make out what was happening.

 

The light exploded in a shower of sparks and Meteor dissolved.  The Turks and their fellow witnesses stared in confused disbelief for several moments, hardly daring to breathe.  The wind died down and a sob of relief from somewhere in the shelter broke the eerie silence.  People began to murmur, then shout with relief.

 

“Yo, I think the Lifestream ate it,” Reno said in amazement. 

 

“I guess that means Strife’s team succeeded,” Rude assumed.

 

Reno smiled and hugged his mother to him.  “They must have, man.  I don’t know how the hell they got the Lifestream to do that for ‘em but Meteor’s gone now and that’s all that matters.”

 

“I’m calling Rufus,” the bald man said.

 

“Yeah, we’d better make sure they’re all right,” agreed Reno.

 

~************************************~

 

            _So Cloud and his buddies took care of Sephiroth and Jenova…we found that out for sure from Reeve the day after Meteorfall.  He couldn’t tell us why the Lifestream did what it did but I didn’t really care.  They were all okay and heading back to Midgar.  Rufus, Tseng and Elena were okay too._

 

            _I set Ma up in a little cottage near Healin, until I could find another place for her.  Midgar was trashed.  Rufus organized for ShinRa people to go in and get as much of our stuff as they could and he started funding Reeve’s new organization to help restore the planet and cities.  There was no telling how long it was going to take to get Midgar restored or even if it could be done.  Rufus let Reeve make the rebuilding decisions on that end and he concentrated on Junon, deciding he was going to make the Headquarters there our new base once the rebuilding was done._

            _Until then we were pretty much staying in Mideel…or Healin, whatever you wanna call it.  It wasn’t the most exciting place to live but it was quiet and Rufus bought a big house for us to stay in outside the village.  I kind of liked living with my fellow Turks…it was real convenient to have all my lovers in the same place all the time._

_The citizens of Midgar decided to build a city around the borders of it while the WRO was working on cleaning up the old city and making it livable again.  They called it Edge, yo.  Everything went pretty good for about a year, but then people all over the world started getting sick with some kind of disease that the science and medical community hadn’t ever seen before.  It wasn’t spread from person to person but it infected people randomly._

_They finally worked out that it was caused by Jenova cells being carried through the Lifestream, man.  I guess Cloud and his gang did their job a little too good…there were pieces of that thing drifting around and infecting people all over the place.  They finally gave it a name: Geostigma.  The worst part was that there wasn’t a fucking cure for it._

_Sometimes you just can’t win, you know?_

~********************************~

 

-To be continued


	20. Chapter 20

“Thanks for the Memories”

A Reno fan fiction

Chapter 20: “Geostigma”

~*******************************************~

*Disclaimer:  Final Fantasy and all characters therein belong to Square-Enix.  This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can’t get enough of this world and the characters.* 

~***********************************************~

 

            _For the other guys, the time we spent in Healin was like a vacation.  For me it was boring.  There was practically no nightlife at all, man.  There was a pub in the center of the little town that was almost finished being built but that was about it.  Rude was spending a lot of time fishing—yeah, you heard me right…fishing.  Rufus went jogging every morning and Tseng liked to do a disappearing act into the woods every day to meditate or hunt.  Elena was busy with her new boy toy doctor and Cissnei was staying in Gongaga with Zack’s parents._

_It all left me with nothing and nobody to do for the first half of most days.  There were like three TV stations on air by then and they were mostly news and repeats of old shows.  It was gonna be a few years before any studios started making shows again, since transmitting was harder without Mako and most of the studios in the world were rubble anyhow.  The training dummy in the basement got boring after a few minutes of a workout.  It wasn’t like sparring with a real partner and I always had to wait for Rude to come in and shower for a match with him._

_Yup, I was getting pretty damned miserable.  Tseng called me a social butterfly and I guess he was right, because trying to amuse myself when nobody was around just didn’t do it for me.  Hell, even masturbation wasn’t as fun as it used to be.  I was having a social crisis.  Rufus usually came back to the house before anyone else but I was getting the feeling that I was wearing him out.  I know…seems impossible, right?  Something was off with him though.  He was just as good as he always was but he didn’t have the stamina I was used to.  He started falling asleep after sex—even in the daytime—and he used to make out with me for a while and have another go before that happened.  It was starting to bother me, yo._

~************************************~

 

            Reno grinned at his small victory when he succeeded in frying a plate full of eggs without burning any of them.  Being stuck in this backwater location had given him time to improve his cooking skills.  Until now, the only thing he could make right for breakfast was a bowl of cereal and a pot of coffee.  He picked up his cellphone off the counter and thanked Shiva that the cellular broadcasts at least were still working.  He dialed Rude’s number and waited impatiently for his partner to pick up.

 

            “This is Rude.”

 

            “Hey man, get off that lake and come have some breakfast,” Reno said.  “I didn’t burn anything this time.”

 

            “You’re turning into a good little housewife,” Rude teased.

 

            That was a mistake.  Reno flushed with anger and narrowed his glittering eyes.  “Fuck you, then.  That’s the last time I cook breakfast for you, asshole.”

 

            Rude went into stunned silence for a moment but before Reno could hang up, he apologized.  “Take it easy Red, I was only trying to cheer you up.  Sorry I made you mad.”

 

            Reno sighed long and loud.  “It ain’t you, partner.  I guess I’m just losing my sense of humor.  I’m going stir crazy here and I’m not into the great outdoors the way the rest of you are.”

 

            “Sounds like you need someone to play with,” Rude said in a suggestive tone.

 

            Reno’s temper cooled and he smirked.  “So are you gonna get off that boat and come play with me, baby?”

 

            “Give me a couple more hours, okay?  The fish bite good until around noon and I can reheat my breakfast when I come in.”

 

            Reno almost dropped his head onto the counter with frustration.  “It’ll be lunch by then,” he complained.  “Can’t you cut it short for once?”

 

            “You know we can’t just get everything we need from the grocery store anymore,” Rude reminded him, “and when winter comes around it’s going to be harder to keep the protein stocked.  I’m trying to build up our supplies.  Plus, we’ve also got to bring some to your mother.”

 

            “Fine, fine,” Reno griped.  “I guess I’ll see you at noon.”  He disconnected and put the cellphone down with a sigh.  He knew Rude was right and between him and Tseng, the big freezer in the basement was steadily getting stocked with wild game and fish.  They wouldn’t go hungry in the winter and neither would his mother, but poor Reno thought he might go mad with boredom before then.  He’d tried to go hunting with Tseng once but he couldn’t get used to the bow and they couldn’t afford to waist any gun ammunition.  Besides that, he lost his nerve when he spotted a doe and tried to shoot her. 

 

            _~How pathetic is that?  I can beat a guy to death with a pipe, shoot people and blow people up, but I can’t bring myself to kill an animal for food.  I guess that’s why I’ve been trying to do a lot of the cooking.  Rufus is taking care of everything financially and Tseng and Rude are bringing in all the meat we need.  The only thing I’m good for is fucking and cooking.  SHIT, I really AM turning into a housewife!~_

            Reno suddenly felt like he couldn’t catch his breath and he realized he was on the verge of a panic attack.  He yanked his sweater over his head and threw it to the kitchen floor, letting the cool air caress his naked upper body to fight the rising heat in it. 

 

            Rufus returned from his morning jog to find his redheaded lover shirtless in the kitchen with his head down and his hands splayed over the counter.  He frowned at the way Reno was panting and he approached him and put a hand on his shoulder.  “Are you coming down with something, Fox?”

 

            Reno shook his head and lifted it to look at the President through stray locks of bright hair.  “I’m all right.  I just felt a little claustrophobic for a minute, yo.”  He nodded toward the plate of fried eggs and toast.  “Have some breakfast?”  He felt cooled off enough to pick up his sweater and pull it back on.

 

            Rufus wasn’t particularly hungry—he rarely was lately—but he could see that Reno hadn’t burnt any of it this time and he thought the Turk deserved some reward for his efforts.  “It looks delicious.  Come sit with me and we’ll eat together, Reno.”

 

            The redhead nodded and waited for Rufus to make his plate before doing the same.  They went into the small dining room and sat down across from each other to eat.  Rufus was drinking orange juice and Reno had chosen a glass of milk.  The blonde studied him silently as they ate and Reno began to squirm.

 

            “Something on my face, Sir?”  The Turk finally asked.

 

            Rufus’s eyes automatically fixated on the tattooed markings on Reno’s cheekbones and he smiled subtly.  “Only your brands, Fox.  I apologize for staring…I’ve just noticed how restless you are.”

 

            Reno shrugged and took a bite of toast.  He chewed and swallowed it before answering.  “What can I say, boss?  I’ve always been a city boy and living out here in the middle of nowhere in this cabin is starting to bug me.  I’ll get by though.”

 

            Rufus understood.  “I’m a ‘city boy’ myself, so I can empathize with you.  Why do you think I got jogging each morning?  Perhaps you should come with me, or find a hobby to occupy yourself with for now?  As soon as the reconstruction is finished in Junon we’ll leave this place and you can return to a more familiar lifestyle.”

 

            “That could take years,” Reno muttered.

 

            “It could,” Rufus agreed, “but I’m putting a lot of money toward it to make it go more quickly.  I imagine the repairs and the new Headquarters will be finished within two years, or even one if we’re fortunate.  Isn’t there anything you can think of to occupy your time until then?”

 

            Reno took a drink of milk and kept his eyes on the blonde, while beneath the table he ran his foot up Rufus’s right leg and let it settle between his thighs.  He put the glass down and grinned suggestively at his superior as he kneaded and rubbed his groin with his toes.  “I can think of one or two things, boss.”

 

            True, Rufus found himself more easily fatigued lately and his appetite wasn’t strong, but there was nothing wrong with his sex drive.  He began to harden under the massage of Reno’s foot and his lips curved into a sensual half-smile.  “After we eat and I get cleaned up,” he promised as he reached down and gently removed the exploring foot from his crotch. 

 

            Reno sighed and shrugged, forking another mouthful of egg to his lips.  The promise of sex after breakfast was enough to placate him.  He noticed how slowly Rufus was eating and he wondered if something was wrong with the food.  It tasted fine to him but his high metabolism made his appetite sharp enough that he wasn’t as picky an eater as some. 

 

            “Taste okay?” he asked, waving his empty fork at Rufus’s plate.

 

            “It tastes fine,” Rufus assured him softly, but it looked to Reno like he was forcing himself to eat.

 

            “Sir, are you okay?” Reno asked after he finished his plate and Rufus still had half an egg and three-fourths of a piece of toast left.  “You haven’t been eating much lately.  You won’t hurt my feelings if it’s my cooking, promise.”

 

            Rufus gave him a brief smirk and sighed, pushing his plate away.  “I would tell you if it tasted bad, Reno.  You know that.  I just haven’t been very hungry lately.  I’m sure it’s only a phase.”

 

            Reno nodded, but he silently wondered what sort of “phase” could make a virile, healthy man like Rufus suffer appetite loss and fatigue.  The first thing that sprang to his mind was depression—which made perfect sense considering how they’d been living for the past year since Meteorfall.  Rufus was used to being a prominent authority figure, wielding his power openly.  Now he was working behind the scenes and most of the world thought he was dead.

 

            It made Reno worry more with each day.

 

~*************************************~

 

            After cleaning up the dishes, Rufus invited Reno to have a shower with him.  After helping the President bathe, the redhead wanted to immediately start fooling around but Rufus stopped him and demanded for him to be still. 

 

            “I like to take my time enjoying this body now and then,” Rufus murmured in his ear from behind him as he soaped up a sponge and began to bathe him.  “There’s no rush.”

 

            Reno leaned back against him while he soaped his chest and he turned his head for a kiss.  Rufus cupped his jaw with his free hand and plundered his mouth while he lathered the Turk’s chest and stomach with the sponge.  He put the sponge on the ledge and brought his hand back to slide it over the pale, lathered skin of Reno’s torso.  The redhead relaxed further against him and sucked on his tongue, making Rufus’s erection throb greedily.  The blonde pressed his arousal against the cleft between his subordinate’s buttocks and released his jaw to fondle both of his nipples. 

 

            Reno’s stomach muscles tightened as the stimulation made him tingle and increased the pressure between his legs.  He moaned softly, the sound muffled by Rufus’s demanding mouth.  The blonde took the showerhead off of its holder and sprayed Reno’s torso, rinsing away the soap.  When that was finished he picked up the sponge and lathered it with the soap again before pulling Reno’s long hair over one shoulder and soaping down his back and ass.  He took a moment to give each cheek a possessive caress and squeeze before soaping between them and lathering up his balls.  Reno closed his eyes and licked his lips as Rufus massaged his scrotum for a moment.  It was hard to stay still as his boss wished, but he controlled his urge to shift into the touch somehow.

 

            Rufus reached out for the showerhead and he smiled with cruel delight as he twisted the adjustment nozzle to “pulse” and sprayed behind and between Reno’s legs.  The redhead gasped and jumped a little and Rufus put his other arm around his waist and held him tight.  He pressed his lips to his ear as he tilted the sprayer forward and back to massage his balls and posterior orifice. 

 

            “Bend over for me, Fox,” Rufus ordered huskily before tugging the rim of his lover’s ear with his teeth.

 

            Reno obeyed, splaying his hands over the built-in, tiled sitting hump against the left shower wall for support because he knew that Rufus’s creative inspiration with the massage function on the showerhead was going to be intense.

 

            _~Leave it to Rufus to come up with this idea.  He doesn’t have his collection of toys anymore but the man always finds ways to improvise.~_

            Reno’s thoughts were abruptly cut off as the spray of water pulsed more intensely against his tender parts, now that they were more accessible.  Rufus warned him once more to be still and the blonde’s arm released his waist so that he could reach for the soapy sponge again.  Reno whimpered and bit his lip as Rufus’s hand returned with the sponge and began stroking the length of his cock with it, while the other hand moved the showerhead back and forth over his balls and anus.

 

            “F-fuck,” Reno blurted raggedly, unable to resist flexing his hips.  The texture of the sponge around his dick was a new experience and Rufus’s firm, slow strokes made his vision blur.  He cried out when the spray of water pulsed against a particularly sensitive spot at the base of his scrotum and his hands clenched into fists. 

 

            Rufus wanted to see his lover’s facial expressions.  Luckily for him, the shower extension was long enough to reach for him to try out the idea that had formed in his mind.  He stopped torturing his lover long enough to instruct him to have a seat on the hump—lengthwise.  Reno was panting and flushed already and Rufus smiled with lust as he guided the Turk into the position he wanted him.  He had him bend the leg that was resting against the wall at the knee and leave the other one dangling over the side and angled out, leaving him exposed and visible from head to foot for Rufus. 

 

Reno rested his back against the far wall and closed his eyes as his boss continued where he left off, massaging his erection with the soapy sponge and running the pulsing water over his other sensitive spots.  His chest was heaving and he reached up with one hand and grabbed hold of the support bar over his head, clenching his teeth. 

 

Rufus admired every expression of ecstasy that crossed the redhead’s face and he memorized the sound of every moan, gasp and groan that passed Reno’s parted lips.  The Turk’s damp bangs hung in his eyes and he dragged his fingers through them to comb them back, inadvertently giving Rufus a better view of his passion-flushed features.  The President realized for the first time how straight and white Reno’s teeth were when the Turk worried his lower lip with them and tried to hold back his whimpers.  His body was tense and shaking as the stimulation brought him to unbearable heights of pleasure.  The wet, long strands of Reno’s hair straggled over his shoulders and chest, darkened to the color of blood by the dampness. 

 

Rufus thought back to the day when he first laid eyes on Reno and he smirked.  As badly as he’d wanted him then, he didn’t allow himself to imagine that the foxy mechanic would ever belong to him as completely as he did now.  Reno was so beautiful to him—so vivid and full of life.  The long, sea-green eyes opened to regard him, the surrounding lashes sparkling with tiny water droplets.  Everything in that gaze was sensual and intense and when the lids fluttered shut again and Reno panted heavily and pleaded with him in a breathless groan, it was all Rufus could do not to fuck him without lube or protection.

 

“Come for me, Fox,” Rufus murmured, knowing that the redhead was holding back with everything he had.  He’d trained him well.  Reno was so attuned to his moods now that he could sense when Rufus wanted to play control games and he’d developed a talent for coming on command, most of the time. 

 

Reno tilted his head back and screamed the blonde’s name, obeying his command with needy appreciation.  Rufus smiled as the redhead’s rigid cock pulsed in his grip, releasing thick spurts of cum at impressive heights.  Rufus kept the water pulsing against him for a moment longer, to intensify the orgasm and draw it out longer.  Reno was shuddering and tossing his head by the time the spasms slowed and stopped, and Rufus finally stopped spraying him and released his cock.  The blonde adjusted the nozzle again to a more gentle setting and he rinsed the Turk’s body off, kissing him deeply as he did it.

 

“Let’s get you into my bed, now,” Rufus said against the shapely lips.

 

~**************************************~

 

            It seemed that Rufus’s patience only went so far.  He didn’t even allow time for them to finish drying off before he ushered Reno down the hall.  They heard someone come in downstairs but Rufus was too hot to bother worrying about it.  He shoved Reno against the wall as soon as they got through the bedroom door and he yanked the redhead’s towel off from around his waist.  Reno made one of those sounds that was so damned gratifying and the blonde felt a brief rush of dizziness from the surge of carnal lust it provoked.  He stopped for a moment and took a couple of deep breaths.

 

            “I’m fine,” Rufus said when he noticed the faint concern on Reno’s face, “You’ve just gotten me too excited.  Get on the bed.”

 

            Reno moved to do as he asked but his mischievous nature took hold as he moved around the President and he yanked Rufus’s towel off and gave him a leer.  “Hope you ain’t gonna make me wait long, baby,” Reno said as he devoured the blonde’s toned body with his eyes.

 

            “Only as long as it takes for you to get on the bed and put your ass in the air for me,” Rufus answered raggedly.

 

            Reno wasted no time.  He climbed onto the bed and positioned himself in a submissive pose, with his knees bent, his ass sticking up, his arms resting down at his sides and his cheek resting on the pillow.  Rufus approached and caressed his bare ass admiringly for a moment before getting the lube and condoms out of the dresser drawer.  He prepared him almost roughly but he stroked the easily reached gland inside of Reno while he did it, balancing out the discomfort with shocks of pleasure.  Reno was hard and panting again by the time the blonde applied the condom and positioned himself behind him. 

 

            “Unnh…Rufus!” Reno exclaimed as the other man shoved inside of him hard and deep.  He started to pull his hands up to grab hold of the pillow but Rufus grabbed them and held them firmly, keeping him from using them to support himself to change his position.  Reno moaned helplessly as his lover began to take him with hard, sharp thrusts.  The bed bumped against the wall and he wondered if they were going to have a repeat of the day they destroyed the bed at the Inn at Mideel in their vigor.

 

            Rufus squeezed his Turk’s hands firmly to hold them in place, enjoying the way restraining Reno in this position gave him complete control.  He watched the flush creep over the visible side of the other man’s face as he fucked him and he groaned with appreciation.  The slap of skin on skin got louder as Rufus’s excitement grew, until Reno was crying out with every breath and Rufus broke into a sweat.  He wanted to make his fox come by the thrust of his cock alone and he adjusted the angle of his pumps and grinned smugly when the redhead tensed in a telling way.

 

            Reno began to see white bursts behind his lids each time Rufus shoved his cock in.  The President had found the perfect angle and he was using it to his ultimate advantage, while denying the Turk the ability to support himself or move.  “Ahhh…ah…shit, I’m c-coming…S-Sir…I can’t hold it!”  Reno clenched his jaw and shouted in a raw voice as the blonde slammed into him once more, hard enough to hurt as well as pleasure.  Reno’s passage squeezed the invading member violently as he came in an explosive rush.  He moaned incoherently and he vaguely felt his lover’s cock bucking inside of him. 

 

            Rufus released the Turk’s hands and bowed over his back, panting heavily as Reno’s body milked his seed out of him.  It was the most intense sex the two of them had experienced together for months and he was so spent he wondered if he even had the strength to pull out of his companion and stretch out beside him.  Reno was trembling almost as much as he was and Rufus kissed his back and eased out of him slowly.

 

            Rather than collapse on top of the sheets he’d blown his load on, Reno levered his upper body up and moved aside to pull the soiled sheets off of the bed.  He watched Rufus stretch out on his side and drop his head on the pillow in exhaustion and he leaned over to kiss his panting mouth.

 

            “I’ll get some clean ones and cover you up, baby,” Reno murmured.  Without waiting for a response, he pulled the condom off of his lover’s softening member with skillful care and took it out of the room with the soiled sheets.

 

            After flushing the condom and tossing the sheets in the upstairs laundry bin, Reno stopped and got a quizzical look on his face.  “Man, I’ve got to have a break from this place.  Everything I do gets more domestic every fucking day!”  He sighed and shook his head as he went to the linen closet and selected some fresh sheets. 

 

            When he returned to the bedroom, Rufus was already sound asleep.  Reno studied him for a moment and frowned, ill at ease with the way his boss so easily ran out of stamina these days.  He pulled the comforter the rest of the way off, tucked the end of the sheets under the mattress and pulled them over his lover’s naked body.  Then he put the comforter back on and covered him up with that as well.  So he was acting kind of like a wife…when it came to taking care of his lovers, he didn’t really mind as long as he didn’t think about it.  He tucked Rufus in and brushed his drying blond hair out of his eyes before leaving the room to dress in some clean clothes.

 

~*************************************~

 

            When Reno went back down the stairs, he found Rude and Tseng eating the breakfast he’d made.  They greeted him and Rude complimented his cooking.  Reno almost smiled but he again remembered that he was getting far too domesticated by this lifestyle and he shrugged instead.

 

            “Glad you like it,” he said as he pulled up a chair at the table and plopped down.  Both of his fellow Turks were looking at him knowingly and he grunted.  “What?”

 

            “We don’t have a bed to repair, do we?” Tseng questioned softly, his smile subtle and amused.

 

            Reno chuckled, not the least bit embarrassed that his and Rufus’s earlier activities were loud enough to be heard downstairs.  “Nah, that bed he’s got in there can probably take a few more beatings before any of us break it, yo.” 

 

            “Is the boss coming down?” Rude asked.

 

            Reno sobered and shook his head.  “He’s sleeping pretty hard.  I just tucked him in and left him.”

 

            Tseng glanced at the clock with a frown.  It wasn’t quite noon yet, which meant Rufus had only been up for roughly six hours.  It wasn’t normal for a man of his age and health to need naps so often during the day. 

 Reno caught the expression on the Wutaian’s face and he nodded. “Yeah, it’s starting to worry me too.  Think he’s depressed?”

 

            Tseng took a swallow of his tea and considered the question.  “I think his spiritual energy is out of balance—which could easily be caused by depression.  Rufus has never been one to open up to others and talk about things…at least, not easily.  It’s quite possible that he’s stifling in an effort to maintain some sense of normalcy.”

 

            “So what do you suggest?” Rude asked.

 

            Tseng tapped his fingers on the wooden table in thought.  “I could attempt to convince him to let me cleanse his aura, but he generally considers such things superstitious nonsense.  He may even get offended if I suggest it, given how much he hates to reveal any weakness.”

 

            “So in other words, we don’t do a damn thing unless it gets bad,” reasoned the bald man.

 

            Reno sighed.  “I need a drink, man.”

 

            “You know where the liquor is,” Tseng said with a soft smile.  “It’s too early in the day for me.”

 

            “I’ll have one,” Rude said.

 

            Reno glared at his partner.  “You’ve got arms and legs…get it yourself.”

 

            As the redhead got up and left, Rude stared after his tense form with raised eyebrows.  “What the hell did I say now?”  The question was pitched low and addressed to Tseng.

 

            The Wutaian watched Reno disappear through the archway and he looked at Rude.  “You said nothing out of the ordinary but I’m getting the impression that Reno is of the belief that we’re taking it for granted that he’s the domestic one in this relationship.”

 

            Rude frowned.  “But all of us get drinks for each other if one of us is already up getting one…that’s how it’s always been.  Why is he so sensitive all the sudden?”

 

            “He’s been doing most of the cooking and cleaning since we’ve lived here,” Tseng answered.  “If I know Reno as well as I think I do, he may think that we now see him as a servant, rather than a partner.”

 

            Rude groaned softly and put his head in his hands.  “I would have offered to get it if I’d have known that…and I should have figured that out on my own anyway.”

 

            “This hasn’t been easy for any of us,” Tseng consoled.  “Give yourself allowances…you’ve been focused on keeping our food storage filled.  Reno is simply more volatile than we are right now because he has a restless nature to begin with.  We’ll just have to be more careful around him until things improve.”

 

~************************************~

 

            The next day, Reno apologized to Rude for snapping at him.  “I’m sorry man.  I don’t know if it’s all in my head or not, but I figure if you’re really starting to see me as a housewife it’s probably my own fault for picking the domestic role in the first place.”

 

            Rude felt a light go on in his head.  So, this really WAS his fault.  Reno had been fine more or less until he made that housewife crack over the phone to him.  “Hey, I don’t see you as a housewife,” he explained.  “I never would have said that if I knew it would bother you so much.  I just suck at cheering people up.  You’d make a shitty housewife…honest.”

 

            Reno smirked at that.  “Really?  You aren’t just saying that to make me feel better?”

 

            Rude shook his head.  “If everything I hear about married life is true, you’d be an awful housewife.  You suck at folding clothes and you haven’t lost your sex drive, man.”

 

            That made Reno laugh.  “Okay, now THAT cheered me up.”  He closed the distance between them and kissed the bald man sensually.  “The part about the sex drive is especially true, yo.”

 

~**********************************~

 

            _Rufus didn’t snap out of whatever was making him so tired all the time, .  He also didn’t eat any better, but he didn’t eat worse, either.  We could tell he was forcing himself to eat at every meal and he only had half as much as the rest of us.  One time I thought he was going to throw up in the middle of dinner.  I almost cracked a joke and asked him if he might be pregnant but I was getting too worried about him to joke about it._

            _Reeve kept in touch with Rufus and let him know how things were going with the WRO and Junon.  I was feeling more and more trapped, until one day Rufus told me to take the chopper to Junon and spend a few nights there to get my social needs out of my system.  I felt kind of bad for taking the offer so fast, but the cabin fever was eating me alive, ._

_When I came back from my vacation away from Healin, things took a turn for the worst._

_~********************************~_

-To be continued


	21. Chapter 21

“Thanks for the Memories”

A Reno fan fiction

Chapter 21: “Making plans”

~*******************************************~

*Disclaimer:  Final Fantasy and all characters therein belong to Square-Enix.  This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can’t get enough of this world and the characters.* 

~***********************************************~

 

            Reno had a great time in Junon but he was eager to see Rufus and the others again by the time he returned to Healin.  The air was crisp as winter was setting in and he knew it was about time to start making use of the fireplace.  “I’m home, guys,” he shouted as he walked through the door.  He set his bag down and shut the door behind him just as Rude came through the archway leading into the den. 

 

            “So how was it?” the bald man asked.

 

            “Great,” Reno answered with a grin, scanning his partner with hungry eyes, “but none of you were there and I got horny.”

 

            Rude smirked and met him halfway from the foyer.  They embraced and he enjoyed the feel and scent of the redhead for a few moments before pulling back and sobering.  “I don’t want to crash your mood partner, but we’re pretty sure the boss is getting worse.”

 

            Reno frowned.  “How much worse are we talking?”  He noticed that the temperature in the cabin was pretty warm…almost too warm.

 

            “He gets cold easily, for one thing,” Rude explained, “he stopped going jogging in the mornings a couple of days after you left, too.  Yesterday he had to leave the table at lunch and he got sick.  Maybe you could talk him into going to a doctor, since you’re his favorite.”

 

            Reno grimaced.  “I may be his ‘favorite’ but that ain’t gonna make much of a difference where doctors are concerned.  You know the man could have a broken leg and he’d try to pass it off as a fucking sprain.”

 

            “I know,” Rude sighed.  “That’s why I thought you should try to talk some sense into him.”

 

            “I’ll try,” Reno agreed, “but if Tseng couldn’t convince him I doubt I’ll be able to.”

 

~********************************~

 

            “I’m fine, Reno,” Rufus said with a hint of impatience.  “It’s simply taking me a while longer to adjust to this lifestyle.”

 

            “I’d go for that excuse,” Reno said as he crossed his arms over his chest, “except you were as fit as a bull up until a couple of months ago.  People get better when they’re adjusting Sir, not worse.”

 

            Rufus stared at him from the wing-backed chair he sat in.  He put his book aside and sighed deeply.  “I’ll admit to being under some stress lately, Reno.  I’m not used to running things this way and it can be daunting at times.  All of these little symptoms I’ve been having could easily be a side-effect of strain.”

 

            “But what if it isn’t?” Reno persisted, leaning against the wall.  His eyes stayed fixed on Rufus, not backing down.

 

            The President smirked.  Reno simply wasn’t the sort to show his throat in a battle that was important to him…not even to a superior.  “What would you suggest I do, Fox?”

 

            “See a doctor,” Reno answered immediately.

 

            Rufus stood up and shook his head.  “That’s a bit too extreme for now,” he insisted.  “I’ll just make a trip into town and purchase some vitamins and fresh fruit.  I probably just have a deficiency—” 

 

He abruptly stopped talking and grimaced as a dizzy spell struck him.  He swallowed and did his best to conceal the lapse from his subordinate, but Reno’s glittering eyes narrowed suspiciously and he knew he wasn’t playing it off as well as he’d like.  “Head rush,” Rufus started to say.  There was a buzzing sound in his ears and suddenly he wasn’t chilled anymore…he was burning up.  “I stood up…too…fast…”  He stumbled and groaned as he felt a growing burning sensation, behind his left eye and down the back of his skull.  His left arm felt as though it was heating up beneath the skin too.

 

            “Boss?” Reno asked uncertainly as Rufus put a hand to the left side of his forehead and sucked in a couple of quick breaths.  “Rufus?”  The second word came out as a strained whisper.

 

            Rufus raised his eyes to him and struggled to bring his face into focus.  His vision was shifting oddly—as if his left eye were seeing the world in sharp, vivid contrast while his right was seeing as normal.  It made him even more disoriented.  Reno’s bright hair was flickering like flames and his eyes went from being almost neon green to the usual blue-green.  The Turk bounded across the room and Rufus became aware that he was sinking to his knees.  Reno’s arms were around him then and he sagged against the redhead, panting and closing his eyes.

 

            “That’s it,” Reno growled, “You’re seeing a doctor if I’ve gotta tie you up and drag you myself, yo.”

 

            Rufus didn’t have the energy to argue and Reno dragged one of his arms around his neck and hauled him to his feet, half-dragging him into the hallway as he shouted for Rude and Tseng.

 

~***********************************~

 

            They would have gotten a house call if there were any landlines working to request one.  They had to take Rufus into town using his jeep.  The med building was fairly busy but due to the mixture of symptoms they described to the receptionist, Rufus was shown to a room after a short period of time.  The doctor started out taking his temperature and blood pressure while asking for details about the symptoms.  When Rufus described the odd visual discrepancies his Turks looked at him with quizzical expressions.  The doctor frowned a bit too and checked the blonde’s eyes next, asking him if he was still experiencing visual problems.

 

            “No, it began to clear up shortly after my companions got me into the vehicle,” answered Rufus around the thermometer in his mouth.

 

            “Hmm.  How is the dizziness?” The doctor took the thermometer out of Rufus’s mouth and checked it with a frown.

 

            Rufus shrugged.  “It seems fine now.  It only happens on occasion when I stand up or turn my head too quickly.”

 

            The doctor nodded.  “That could normally be associated with an inner ear problem,” he murmured.  “Well, your temperature is actually below normal, but not alarmingly so.  Oddly enough, the left side of your face feels feverish to me.”  He reached out and placed the back of his hand on the blonde’s left cheek.  “There’s no visible flush in the skin to indicate fever, however.  Have you been sleeping a lot lately?”

 

            “Yeah,” Reno answered before Rufus could.  He ignored his lover’s glare.  “He’s usually a pretty energetic guy but a couple of months ago he started taking cat naps in the afternoon, yo.  It’s gotten worse since then.  Now he can hardly stay up for more than a few hours without a nap.”

 

            “I see,” the doctor said.  Noticing the angry look the young President was giving the redhead, he smiled.  “You should try not to be annoyed with your friend, Sir.  He wouldn’t be tattling on you if he didn’t care.”

 

            Rufus grunted sourly.  “I’m capable of describing my own symptoms without help.”

 

            “Yeah, but you won’t be honest about ‘em,” Reno shot back, ignoring the shushing motion Tseng was making.  “I’m just making sure the doc here gets all the info he needs, boss.”

 

            The doctor chuckled softly.  “He’s your employee then, is he?” he asked as he checked the blood pressure reading. 

 

            “Not for long, if he keeps this up,” Rufus said with a warning look at the redhead.

 

            “Your blood pressure is low too,” the doctor announced, still chuckling softly at the exchanges between the President and the Turk.  “Well Mr. Shinra, you have symptoms that could be caused by numerous things.  I don’t want to jump to any rash conclusions, though.  Have you been under a lot of pressure lately?”

 

            “I’d say more than average,” Rufus admitted dryly.

 

            “What about a change of diet?  Have your eating habits changed?”  He checked his ears next and Rufus winced as the viewing device was pressed into each canal.

 

            “Yes,” Rufus agreed.  “I used to have all of my groceries delivered directly to my home.  Obviously necessity has forced me to adapt.  Now we eat wild game and whatever else we can find for purchase from the agricultural community here.”

 

            The doctor nodded.  “You originally lived in Midgar, correct?”

 

            Rufus inclined his head in confirmation.

 

            “That’s a rather big city,” the doctor mused with a sigh.  “The air is none too clean even on the upper plate, in fact.  Well Sir, I think I can give you a simple diagnosis to start with and we can see what happens if we make some changes.”

 

            “I can agree with that,” Rufus said amicably enough.

 

            “First, we’ll start you off on some vitamin supplements.  Now, I didn’t see any fluid build up or swelling inside of your ears, so for now I’m going to attribute the dizzy spells, nausea and vision problems to sinuses and put you on a mild antihistamine.  If it’s at all possible, you should avoid mentally or emotionally stressful work.  The sleeping problems could simply be due to a mild chemical imbalance caused by a combination of nerves and vitamin or mineral deficiencies.  That would explain the blood pressure and temperature issues.”

 

            The Turks nodded along, paying careful attention to what the doctor said.  “How long should we try this before getting back to you?” Tseng asked.

 

            “I would give it a couple of weeks, to give it time to make a difference,” the doctor answered.  “If his condition gets worse before then he’ll need to come back in.”

 

            Reno thought about this and he considered all possible scenarios in his mind.  What if something happened to the jeep?  Sure, he could fix just about any car problem but what if it was a medical emergency and Rufus couldn’t wait? 

 

            “Yo doc, how long would you say it could be before you get your land lines up again?” the redhead asked.

 

            The doctor shrugged.  “Your guess is as good as mine.  The lines are intact but there’s no connection yet.  It could be a few weeks or a few months before they get the phone lines operational again.”

 

            Reno pressed his lips together and scratched his chin, eyeing Rufus thoughtfully.  “Would you normally do house calls if you had a phone?”

 

            “Of course, if it’s a serious matter or the patient can’t be brought in.  It doesn’t do much good with the phone lines down though.”

 

            Reno held out his hand to Rufus.  “Hand over your cell,” he ordered.

 

            Rufus blinked at him.  “I beg your fucking pardon?”

 

            Reno smiled at the doctor before turning to face Rufus and closing in on the examination table until he and his boss were eye to eye.  “He’s ruling out the small stuff first, yo.  That doesn’t mean it can’t be something serious and until we know for sure that it ain’t, I’m not taking the chance that we won’t be able to get you medical help if we need to.”

 

            Rufus flushed, unaccustomed to being talked to this way by a subordinate but stunned enough by Reno’s unusual commanding tone that he couldn’t manage one of his own.  “I can hardly leave my responsibilities to take care of themselves, Reno.  I need my cellphone.  Give him yours or one of the others’, instead.”

 

            Reno shook his head, his tourmaline eyes hard and unyielding on the blonde.  “Until you’re better, we’re taking care of you and that means we need to be able to call the doc when we think you need help.  If we leave it up to you, you’ll be in your fucking deathbed before he gets word.  Besides that, you need to take a break from work anyhow.  You can make a list of things you want done everyday and we’ll relay it for you.  Now, give him your phone…Sir.”

 

            Rufus stared at the redhead incredulously.  Reno had always been a pushy sort but until now, he’d also known his place.  The young man stared into Rufus’s eyes without blinking, his fair features stern and hard with authority.  Tseng and Rude stood silent, agreeing with Reno’s sentiments but just as surprised as Rufus was by his unyielding demand.

 

            The President kept his gray eyes locked with Reno’s and reached into his blazer to pull out his cell phone.  He handed it over to him slowly.

 

            Reno’s expression relaxed as he took the phone.  “Yeah, I know,” he said, “I’m gonna pay for this.”  He gave Rufus a wink and handed the phone to the doctor.  “Hope you don’t mind hanging onto that for us, doc.  We just don’t want to take chances with him, with all the shit people are coming down with from chemical exposure and viruses.”

“No, it’s perfectly understandable,” the doctor assured him.  “I promise I’ll take good care of the phone until we’ve gotten your boss on the road to recovery.  Is there a charger cord that goes with it?”

 

            Reno held his hand out to Rufus again and the President sighed and fished through his pockets for the rolled up cord.  “Remind me again, which one of us is the employee?” he said to Reno almost petulantly as he gave it over.

 

            Rude and Tseng smirked.

 

~************************************~

 

            Reno made it up to Rufus that night after dinner.  The blonde tried to hold a grudge, tried to be unresponsive and even unwelcoming as Reno came into his bedroom.  The redhead was wearing a tie but it was just hanging around his bare neck.  The blue shirt he was wearing was unbuttoned all the way and he took his shoes, socks and pants off to approach the bed wearing nothing but the gaping shirt and the tie.  Rufus did his best to look uninterested but then Reno freed his hair from the ponytail and crawled onto the bed and on top of the blonde.

 

            “You gonna forgive me, boss?” Purred the Turk with a smile, the bright strands of his hair falling forward to caress Rufus’s naked chest as he looked down at him from above.

 

            Rufus didn’t answer.  His eyes scanned the redhead’s body and he hardened in spite of himself, thinking that Reno looked positively slutty and fuckable in that shirt and tie. 

 

            Reno clucked his tongue and brought his mouth down to nibble the President’s ear, rubbing his body sensually against Rufus’s through the covers.  “Come on, don’t be that way,” he droned softly, the fingers of his left hand combing into the other man’s ash-blond hair.  “You know I only did it to take care of you.  You’re lousy at calling it a day, baby.”

 

            Rufus grumbled something and averted his eyes.  Reno sighed heavily and shifted on top of him, letting the dangling tie skim teasingly over his chest.  “Don’t you wanna grab it and punish me?”

 

            Rufus pressed his lips together, determined not to smile.  Reno leaned down and nibbled his ear again, while dragging one hand over Rufus’s chest to squeeze his nipples one at a time.  The blonde hardened further and closed his eyes, unconsciously lifting his hips between Reno’s parted thighs.  The Turk stretched on top of him to press his body flush against his, moving back and forth so that Rufus could feel his rigid cock brushing against his body.  The silky tendrils of fiery hair tickled his chest and before he even realized he was doing it, he reached up with one hand and caught the trailing end of the tie.  Rufus pulled on it roughly when Reno tried to withdraw, forcing the redhead to keep his face close. 

 

            With a soft growl of arousal and anger, Rufus crushed his mouth against Reno’s and kissed him aggressively while sliding his free hand into the gaping opening of his shirt to explore his body.  Reno whimpered submissively into his mouth as he stroked his chest, stomach and hips.  Rufus cupped the redhead’s ass and pulled him more tightly against his pelvis, toying with the idea of punishing him for overstepping himself earlier in the day.  While the thought of swatting Reno’s smooth, pale cheeks until they blushed was appealing, Rufus was rapidly losing his energy and he didn’t want to miss out on fucking his subordinate.

 

            “Get the lube and a condom,” Rufus ordered, unable to resist smacking Reno at least once on the ass. 

 

            Reno grunted at the sting but he grinned at his boss and stretched out to do as he was told.  He grabbed the items off the top of the nightstand and shifted enough to tug the covers down.  Rufus slept in the nude, so there were thankfully no further barriers to get in the way.  He prepared Rufus first, slipping the condom on him and stroking the lube over it for a moment, teasing him with the massage.  When the President gave him a look that was caught between pleasure and impatience, Reno stopped and focused on getting himself ready.

 

            “Let me do that part, Fox,” Rufus demanded, grabbing the tie to pull Reno’s upper body closer to him, which in turn put him in a more accessible position.  Reno’s mouth met his immediately and his tongue teased against Rufus’s lips as the blonde took the lube and squeezed a portion out onto his fingers.  He returned the kiss and reached down and behind to locate Reno’s anus.  The Turk gasped sharply as two of the fingers slid smoothly into his resisting body.  His gasp became a soft moan as Rufus slowly thrust in and out, spreading his fingers and stroking the gland inside as he stretched him.

 

            Reno nibbled the President’s lips and undulated on top of him, making eager sounds of pleasure and need.  The blonde suddenly thrust hard with his fingers and a shaken cry burst from Reno’s mouth.  Rufus groaned softly, wishing he had the energy to spread his fox out beneath him and fuck him until he couldn’t walk.  He would have an easier time of it with Reno on top, but angry sex wasn’t as affective without the ability to be in complete control.  Perhaps it was better this way, because in truth Rufus thought that if he had full strength he might really harm Reno after the stunt that the Turk pulled today.  Then again, if he were at full strength the stunt would never have been pulled in the first place.

 

             When he felt that he’d relaxed his lover enough, Rufus withdrew his fingers and cupped Reno’s hips to guide him onto his waiting erection.  Reno eagerly reached down to grip the blonde and guide him in.  The redhead straightened up and closed his eyes, moaning softly as he sank down on his companion’s cock.  He bit his bottom lip and started to rock—slowly at first and then with more speed and force.  Rufus allowed him to take the lead for a few moments before removing his left hand from his hip and grabbing the dangling tie.  He wrapped it around his fist and tugged Reno’s head down, ravishing his mouth as he thrust his hips brutally upwards.

 

            Reno’s hoarse shout of surprise was cut off by the bruising kiss.  His hands grabbed at the pillow under Rufus’s head and he held onto it tightly as his boss rammed into him again and again.  His whimpers and moans were steady, broken only by the occasional sharp cry when Rufus gave a particularly hard thrust.  His cock bounced against his stomach and left thick smears of precum on the skin.  The powerful jolts of sensation shooting through his pelvis with each thrust made it hard enough to catch his breath, but Rufus was also firmly pulling on the tie and restricting his breathing further.  It wasn’t exactly choking him but it didn’t allow him to take the deep breaths he needed.

 

            Rufus broke the kiss and looked into his fox’s eyes, panting heavily and smiling with cruel delight as the Turk’s parted lips gasped as much as he’d allow it.  He slid the hand still cupping Reno’s hip around to the front and grasped his rigid cock, stroking it firmly. 

 

            “Now,” Rufus growled, “which one of us is in charge, Fox?”

 

            “Y-you are,” Reno answered immediately.  He whimpered and bowed his head.  “Rufus…oh fuck…Rufus!” 

 

            Excited even further by the redhead’s words and expression of pleasure, Rufus released the tie and Reno’s prick to grab his ass and guide him harder and faster atop him.  “Prove it…Reno…show me that you’re mine.”

 

            Reno’s eyes stared into his and the desperate lust in them was almost shocking.  “Whatever…you say…boss,” he panted.  He straightened up again and started rocking and bouncing on top of the President so roughly that the bed not only bumped against the wall, but skittered back and forth over the hardwood floor. 

 

            Rufus certainly got his angry sex.  Usually only the uke in an encounter would suffer pain from such brutal fucking, but Reno’s motions were so raw with carnal savagery that the blonde’s pelvis was actually hurting from it.  Oddly enough it just turned Rufus on more and he found the strength to sit up and put his arms around the redhead.  He might not be the one taking it up the ass but he was certainly the one getting fucked, here.  He didn’t even realize he was moaning Reno’s name over and over again as the Turk slammed his body onto his cock.  He tilted his head back to look at Reno’s flushed features and he was stunned.

 

            Apparently, Reno was angry too.  Rufus thought the Turk was only acting on his orders but the narrowed tourmaline eyes and slight snarl on those shapely lips told him that his subordinate was just as pissed off as he was…as well as aroused. 

 

            _~What in the hell does he have to be angry about?  I’m the one who was disrespected today and he’s the one at fault!~_

            Rufus couldn’t ponder beyond that.  Reno gave a feral scream and spurt his release all over the blonde’s stomach.  His ass clenched painfully tight around Rufus’s cock and the blonde shouted an oath as he pulsed inside of him as a result.  Both men were trembling with exhaustion and sweating heavily by the time their respective climaxes finished.  Reno held Rufus tightly and remained straddling his lap for a while, leaving the other man’s softening cock inside of his body.  They half expected someone to knock on the door and ask if everything was all right, with as much noise as they’d made.  Fortunately, Rude and Tseng were quite accustomed to Reno’s loud advocacy during sex.  Anyone else would have probably thought they were murdering each other but the Turks were used to it—in fact they took turns causing those same sounds quite often.

 

            After a while, Rufus finally released Reno and lay down.  The redhead climbed off of him and disposed of his condom in the wastepaper basket before wiping the drying spunk off of his body with a tissue from the box conveniently placed on the nightstand.  He stretched out beside Rufus and laid his head on the other man’s chest, kissing the pectorals and running his hand over his stomach.

 

            Rufus combed his fingers through the Turk’s lustrous, disheveled hair and sighed as his muscles lost what remained of their strength.  That was the first time he and Reno had ever fought each other during sex and now that his mind wasn’t fogged with pleasure and lust, he had time to think about it. 

 

            “Would you care to explain that aggression, Reno?”  Rufus looked down at the bright head that lay on his chest and waited for an answer.

 

            Reno tilted his head back to look up at him and he frowned.  “Yo, the aggression you told me to use?”

 

            Rufus smirked.  “I told you to show me that you’re mine, not attempt to crush my pelvis.  You’ve always been eager and passionate Reno, but never angry like that.”

 

            Reno shrugged and lowered his eyes.  “You were angry first, boss.”

 

            “I was angry because you humiliated me at the doctor’s office today,” reasoned the blonde.

 

            “Wasn’t trying to humiliate you,” Reno mumbled sourly, “I was trying to take care of you, man.”

 

            “And you did,” reminded the President, his anger fading as he considered the event again and realized it was simply love that had driven his Turk.  “You got your way, didn’t you?  So tell me, why are you angry?”

 

            Reno sighed, knowing that Rufus wouldn’t relent until he answered.  He looked his boss in the eye and moistened his lips with his tongue before speaking.  “All right, so I’m pissed.  I’m pissed that you’re sick and we don’t know why.  I’m pissed because you’re so fucking stubborn and you’re resenting every damn thing we try to do for you.  Don’t you get it, Rufus?  Without you, we’re nothing.”

 

            Rufus stared at him, disturbed by the statement.  “Reno, the sun rose and set before you met me.  Should something ever happen to me—“

 

            “Don’t even think it,” interrupted the Turk fiercely.

 

            Rufus smiled and caressed those frowning lips with his fingertips.  “Am I going to have to start quoting Tseng on the realities of life, Fox?  Now as I was saying: should anything happen to me, the sun will still rise and set.  Don’t misunderstand me—for as long as I draw breath I expect you to belong to me.  Did it ever occur to you however that the reason I’m so possessive of you and my Turks is because each and every one of you are something?  Your qualities existed before you joined the Turks and they’ll remain even if this organization disintegrates.”

 

            Rufus cupped the redhead’s chin and held his gaze.  “Don’t ever let me hear you refer to yourself as ‘nothing’ again, Reno.  I don’t employ ‘nothings’ and I certainly don’t take them as lovers.  Is that understood?”

 

            Reno nodded slowly, blinking at the other man as he tried to stomp his emotions.  “Yes, Sir,” he whispered.

 

            “And no more angry sex until I’m feeling more like myself,” Rufus added with a grimace.  “I can at least admit that I can’t afford the pelvic bruises in my condition.”

 

            Reno laughed and wriggled up his body to give him a deep kiss.  “Yo, I’ll make a deal with you,” he chuckled against the other man’s mouth, “Don’t be so stubborn about letting us take care of you and I won’t fuck you like a beast until after you’re better.”

 

~***********************************~

 

            _After that, things were pretty simple for a week or so.  Rufus had a couple more spells but they didn’t seem to be as bad as that first one.  He ate a little better but I had a feeling he was just forcing himself so we wouldn’t worry, yo.  I caught him hacking up in the bathroom one night after dinner.  He tried to hide it, saying he was gonna have a shower and turning the water on while he got sick.  If it’s even possible to barf quietly I’ve never met anybody that could do it, yo.  I heard him when I went upstairs to see if he wanted some company in the shower and I heard him through the bathroom door._

_I thought about busting in on him but then I changed my mind.  Then I thought about telling the others and staging an intervention, but that would just make him mad.  Since he wasn’t arguing with us when it was time for his medicine and he wasn’t complaining when we took care of him, I let it slide.  The boss is a proud man, yo.  Dealing with a man like him in a situation like that took a little finesse.  Elena came for visits every few days and she brought her doctor boy toy with her a couple of times to have a look at the boss.  Ma gave me some homemade soups and casseroles to bring home to Rufus too, when I visited her._

_Winter was just about there and it was getting really cold.  Rufus started having chills at night so the three of us took turns sandwiching him.  We played it off like we just wanted to fool around but I could tell by the way he grumbled that he wasn’t buying it.  He never told any of us to piss off, though.  I think he liked the warmth as much as the sex, yo._

_By the middle of the second week of his treatment, things got bad fast and we finally found out what was wrong with him.  I’ll never forget that day, or the feeling I got in the pit of my stomach when the doctor gave us his diagnosis._

~*****************************************~

 

            Rufus was having another spell and this time, he was writhing in pain in his bed.  In a few short days, he’d gotten to the point where he couldn’t even be out of bed for long without getting winded.  He’d lost interest in sexual intimacy as well—not because he didn’t want it but because it wore him out too much.  Reno sat on the edge of the bed and wiped the blonde’s clammy face with a warm, wet cloth while Rude tried to reach the doctor and Tseng boiled some tea.

 

            “We’re getting the doc for you,” Reno promised helplessly as he tried to make his groaning lover more comfortable.  “Just try to relax, Sir.”

 

            “My gut…feels like…on fire,” Rufus panted, curling into a fetal position.  He held his left arm with his right hand as the pain flared up there as well, and he closed his left eye when the odd vision shift began. 

 

            Reno pressed his lips together and reached out to rub his lover’s troubled arm with his free hand.  “This ain’t just stress or sinuses,” he declared with certainty.  He took the washcloth away from Rufus’s head to dip it in the bowl of hot water again and he stopped and stared at it.  The damp material looked dirty for some reason…it was soiled with inky stains that he was sure weren’t there before.  He looked at Rufus again and tilted his head, frowning fiercely. 

 

            Dark spots of liquid were beading the left side of the blonde’s forehead like sweat, but Reno had never seen black perspiration before.  As he watched, more beads seeped out of the President’s pores, down the left side of his face, neck and shoulder.  Reno’s entire body tingled with fear and he was about to ask Rufus if this had happened before when the blonde suddenly began to convulse.

 

            “Rude, Tseng!” Reno shouted at the top of his voice as he held his lover down on the bed, “Get the fuck up here, yo!  Something’s really wrong!”

 

            Reno looked around for something to put between his lover’s teeth to keep him from biting his tongue and he finally cursed and pulled his wallet out of his back pocket.  “Come on, open your mouth, baby,” he said shakenly as he tried to pry the blonde’s jaws apart.  Rufus must have retained some sense of awareness because he relaxed just enough for the redhead to put the wallet between his teeth. 

 

            Reno heard the sounds of footsteps thudding on the stairs as he weighed Rufus down with his body and held his wrists tightly.  The other man bucked convulsively and groaned behind the wallet in his mouth.  The black sweat was rolling down the side of his face and his eyes briefly fixed on Reno.

 

            The redhead stared with shock as Rufus’s left eye…changed.  It went from steely gray to bright, emerald green as he watched, and the pupil elongated vertically for a moment.  Reno stared at the serpentine eye and remembered the last time he saw one that looked like that.  It reverted back to its former human shape and color just as Tseng and Rude burst through the door, leaving Reno to wonder if he’d imagined it.

 

            “I have the doctor on the phone now,” Tseng said as he hurried to the bedside with his cell clutched to his ear.  “What’s happening?”  He and Rude looked down at the seizing blonde and they both wore expressions of shocked concern.

 

            “What’s that black shit on his face and arm?” Rude asked.

 

            Reno hadn’t noticed the mysterious perspiration coming from his arm and he looked down at it.  “Shit, it’s getting worse.  Get the doctor here, Tseng.”

 

            “We need you to come as quickly as possible,” the Wutaian immediately said into his phone.  His dark eyes were fixated on Rufus with grim dread.  “This is no allergy attack.”

 

~**************************************~

 

            Elena came as soon as she got word from Reno and the four Turks waited anxiously on the back patio while the doctor and his nurse assistant worked over Rufus.  Reno lit a cigarette and downed another shot of whiskey from the bottle they’d set out on the patio table. 

 

            “I swear I saw something happen to his eye,” he said as he lifted his cigarette for a drag.

 

            Rude noticed the way his partner’s hand trembled and he resisted the urge to reach out and offer comfort.  Red was too wound up for comfort right now and any attempt to give it to him would be more likely to piss him off than anything else.  “What did you see?” he asked instead.

 

            Reno exhaled the spicy smoke and shrugged.  “I dunno man, it was like it changed colors for a second.  It was Rufus’s eye one minute and someone else’s the next.”

 

            “Who?” Elena asked. 

 

            Reno grimaced and poured another shot for himself.  He looked at the Turk woman as he downed the drink and shivered.  “Sephiroth,” he muttered, looking off at the forests surrounding the cabin.

 

            “Did you just say ‘Sephiroth’?” Tseng inquired with a lifted brow.  The others likewise stared at Reno like a mental patient.

 

            “Yo, I know how it sounds,” The redhead snapped crossly, “and maybe it was just panic that made me think I saw what I saw, but I ain’t lying.  It was over in a flash though…otherwise I’d have shown you guys so you wouldn’t look at me the way you are now!”

 

            Rude poured a shot for himself and stood beside Reno, silently supportive.  Elena was working her mouth and trying to say something, while Tseng contemplated and kept his eyes on the tree line.

 

            “So…what are you saying?” Elena asked softly.  “Do you think Sephiroth’s ghost is trying to possess the President?”

 

            “I don’t know what I’m saying,” Reno shot back.  “I’m not losing my head, all right?  Strife took care of Sephiroth and that’s that.  All I’m saying is I saw something and it wasn’t natural, yo.”

 

            The doctor came out of the house, looking somber and tired.  The Turks forgot their conversation and rounded on the man as one, each of them anxious to hear his diagnosis.  The doctor wasted no time, understanding enough about the Turks to know it wasn’t wise to keep them in suspense.

 

            “I have some terrible news,” he said as he looked at each of them gravely.  “You might want to have a seat for this.”

 

            “Just tell us what’s wrong with him,” demanded Elena.

 

            The doctor sighed.  “It’s Geostigma.  Most victims infected with it expire within a year.”

 

            Reno felt like his heart had stopped beating.  His shot glass fell from his numb fingers and shattered on the patio.

 

~******************************************~

 

-To be continued


	22. Chapter 22

“Thanks for the Memories”

A Reno fan fiction

Chapter 22: “Remnants”

~*******************************************~

*Disclaimer:  Final Fantasy and all characters therein belong to Square-Enix.  This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can’t get enough of this world and the characters.* 

~***********************************************~

 

            _It was tough to keep my emotions under control, I don’t deny it.  Rufus handled the news that he basically had a death sentence well.  Yo, it took a lot to shake up a guy like him.  When I asked him what he wanted us to do, he said to just keep doing business as usual.  He’s got balls of steel, man.  The medication they put him on helped control the seizures and manage his pain but he ended up wearing a patch over his infected eye, because it made him dizzy to look through it when the spells happened._

_We all took turns taking care of him as he lost more of his strength.  When he finally ended up in a wheelchair I had to hide in the bathroom, cause I started crying like a fucking baby.  Since he couldn’t make it up and down the stairs anymore, Rufus ended up having to be moved to one of the med lodges in town.  I was already mourning him and he knew it.  He could see it in my eyes and in every damn move I made._

_“I’m not dead yet,” he said one morning.  After that I tried to just appreciate the time I had left with him instead of constantly thinking about what it was going to be like when he was gone, yo.  I’d pretty much accepted things when we got a call from Reeve.  We’d told him about Rufus getting infected and it turned out the witty bastard was doing research the whole time.  Yeah, he’s an engineer and not a doctor or a biologist, but Reeve had the right connections to the right people and he came up with a theory that might save Rufus’s life._

_He said that the Geostigma was caused by an infection of Jenova cells, yo.  The symptoms were caused when people’s bodies struggled to fight off the invading cells, so he thought if we could get our hands on a piece of Jenova, the science team might be able to find a cure or a vaccine for it.  The only problem was that there was only one piece left of the bitch we could think of that hadn’t been absorbed into the Lifestream—her head.  Sephiroth had her head with him when Cloud chucked him into the reactor and he ended up drifting in the Lifestream to the crater.  With any luck, the head might still be there._

_Tseng ordered Rude to stay in Healin and protect Rufus while the rest of us took the chopper to the Northern Crater to look for the spook’s head.  We sure as hell didn’t expect to get company while we were in there, yo._

~****************************************~

 

            “Ugh…not a pretty sight, is it?” Elena’s voice came through the comm. Unit and Reno rolled his eyes.

 

            “Just get the damned thing so we can go,” he grumbled.

 

            “Reno, the chopper,” Tseng ordered.

 

            “On my way, yo.”  Reno flew the helicopter into the misty depths of the crater, keeping an eye on the tracking screen to locate his companions.  He found them several minutes later and touched down on the uneven, rocky ground.  Tseng and Elena were approaching and the Wutaian was carrying the black container he’d placed what was left of Jenova’s head into.  Reno peered into the ghostly mist behind the other two Turks, thinking he saw movement. 

 

            “Yo, hurry up guys,” he said into the mic, “I’m starting to think we ain’t alone down here.”

 

            “There’s nobody else arou—“ Elena began to say, but shots suddenly rang out and she screamed as she was hit in the leg.

 

            “Elena!” Tseng shouted, drawing his gun as he turned to defend her.  Three figures were approaching out of the mist.

 

            “Who the hell is that?” Reno said.  He opened the pilot’s side door and motioned for his companions to hurry. 

 

            Tseng looked to the approaching menace, then his fallen partner.  His dark eyes met Reno’s across the distance and the redhead saw the decision in them.

 

            “Don’t do it, man,” Reno pleaded, but the black-haired Turk threw the container at him and shouted for him to get out of there.

 

            “That’s a direct order, Reno,” Tseng shouted when the redhead caught the container and shook his head at him.  “Go!  The mission can’t fail!”

 

            More gunfire echoed through the cavern and Tseng squatted at Elena’s side and returned fire.

 

            “Damn!” Reno growled as he slammed the door and lifted off.  He listened to the sounds of battle and clenched his free hand into a fist as he looked down at the cursed item he’d set in the empty passenger seat.  There was another scream from Elena and a rare swear word from Tseng, then static.

 

            Reno had to fight the instinctive urge to go back and try to help them.  Tseng was right and as fast as the mystery attackers took down the Wutaian and Elena, all that Reno would probably accomplish was to get captured or killed with them and lose the key to saving Rufus’s life.  He called Rude and told him what happened as he flew out of the crater and set a course for Healin.

 

~***************************************~

 

            “You did the right thing,” Rude told Reno when the redhead arrived and brought the item to the med lodge that Rufus was staying in.

 

            “I know, but it doesn’t make it any easier,” the redhead sighed. 

 

He followed Rude into the bedroom of the med lodge.  Rufus was awake and getting into his wheelchair when they came in.  He coughed softly and looked up at Reno expectantly.

 

“I got the head, yo,” Reno said as he held the container up.  “But someone attacked us and Tseng ordered me to go without ‘em.  I don’t know if they’re alive or dead, sir.”

 

“Did you see your attackers?” Rufus asked.  There was a hint of concern in his voice but otherwise he was cool and calm as usual.

 

“No sir.  Whoever they were, they were strong.  All I know is it looked like there were three of ‘em and I guess Tseng figured if I tried to stay behind and help we might lose the head.”  Reno lowered his eyes and grimaced.  “I’m sorry, boss.”

 

“There’s no reason to be sorry,” Rufus sighed.  “Clearly, someone else wanted Jenova’s remains as well.  Chances are that when they’ve finished with Tseng and Elena they’ll be coming after us.  What we need is some extra muscle, I’m afraid—someone with exceptional strength to help us keep the specimen secured until it can be researched.”

 

Reno and Rude looked at each other, both of them thinking of the same guy.  “How about Cloud Strife, boss?” Reno asked.  “It’s kind of a long shot but if anyone could talk him into it, you could.”

 

Rufus considered it and he nodded his consent.  “Contact him and request a meeting.  In the meantime, we’ve got to keep the specimen safely hidden.”  He thought for a moment with narrowed eyes and looked at the bed sheets.  “I’ve got an idea.”

 

~*************************************~

 

            Reno found Strife’s business ad in the phone book and he dialed the number and tapped his foot while he waited for Cloud to pick up.  The Turks had been keeping an eye on the blonde since he stopped Meteor and Sephiroth, and Reno knew he was living with Tifa and a bunch of orphans.  He thought it was a waste for someone with Cloud’s skills to pick a career as a delivery boy but at least it made it easier to find him.  A feminine voice answered instead of Strife’s and he recognized it as belonging to Tifa.  He interrupted her partway through her rehearsed business greeting.

 

            “Yo, cute stuff.  Remember me?”  He grinned as he imagined the look on the brunette’s face.

 

            “Oh, I remember you all right,” she said in a less than enthusiastic tone.  “If you’re after a delivery, you’ll have to wait.  Cloud hasn’t been around lately and I don’t know when he’ll be back.”

 

            Reno swore softly and Tifa heard it.  “Is everything okay?” she asked, her voice reluctantly concerned.

 

            “Yeah, I’ve just got a job offer for him.  Think you could try to get in touch with him for me and ask him to come to Healin when he’s got the time?”

 

            She sighed.  “I can’t promise anything but I’ll get the message to him for you.”

 

            “Thanks, sweetheart.  Catch you later, yo.”  He hung up the phone and replaced it in his blazer.

 

            “He’s not around,” Reno explained to Rude, “I guess he’s not enjoying the family life so much.  Tifa said she’d try to get the message to him but I’m not gonna hold my breath, yo.”

 

            Rude frowned.  “We may need to look somewhere else for help.  The boss is going to need more bodyguards if he’s serious about keeping Jenova’s head on him.”

 

            Reno shuddered.  “Man, I don’t like the thought of him carting that damn thing around in his lap.  It’s what started this fucking plague in the first place.”

 

            Rude shrugged.  “He can’t get more infected than he already is.  We just have to trust him.  I think he knows what he’s doing.”

 

            The door opened and the two Turks went silent as Rufus drove his electric wheelchair into the den.  “My ears are burning,” the President said with dry humor when he noticed how silent they were.

 

            Reno looked at his boss, who had a sheet draped over his body under the pretext of hiding his condition from view.  His infection wasn’t bad enough to really warrant it, but it enabled him to keep Jenova’s head on him and hidden from view.  “I just tried to reach Strife but I didn’t have any luck,” Reno said, “Hopefully Tifa will get hold of him for us, yo.”

 

            “I suppose there’s no use worrying about it now,” Rufus said.  “All that we can do is sit back and wait.

 

~**************************************~

 

            And wait, they did.  Reno’s phone rang three hours later and the redhead glanced at the number on the ID and did a double-take.  Rufus and Rude watched in puzzlement as the redhead put the phone to his ear with wide eyes.

 

            “Tseng?!” Reno said, his heart in his throat.

 

            “Tseng can’t talk right now,” answered an unfamiliar, youthful male voice.  “but I can.  You’re the loud redhead, am I right?”

 

            Reno’s sea-green eyes were glaring as he clenched his jaw.  “Who the fuck is this, yo?  Where’s Tseng?”

 

            “Tseng and Elena are somewhere you won’t find them, Reno.  You might want to be careful how you talk to me.”

 

            Reno’s hand tightened on the phone.  “What did you do to them, asshole?”

 

            “We gave them what they deserve, of course,” answered the man.  “See, my brothers and I are looking for Mother and we know that you and your friends took her from us.  If you want to see the Wutaian and the blonde woman alive again, you’d better tell us where Mother is.”

 

            Reno looked at Rufus’s covered lap and he swallowed, guessing that the freak on the other line must be talking about Jenova’s head because otherwise his demands made absolutely no sense.  “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, kid.  Do you have any idea who you’re fucking with, here?”

 

            “There’s no need to shout,” the kid said in a sadistically playful voice.  “I think you do have Mother there and she’d better be ready for us when we come to pick her up.”

 

            Reno felt the color drain from his face, but his anger was greater than his fear.  “Yo, the only thing you’ll get if you come here is a busted skull, you little prick.”  He thought he could hear motorcycles faintly in the background and he frowned, wondering where the mystery caller could be.

 

            “I don’t want to talk to you anymore,” the young man said in an annoyed voice.  “Put the President on.”

 

            Reno almost refused, but knowing Rufus’s talking skills there was a chance the blonde could get more information out Tseng and Elena’s captor.  He handed the phone to Rufus, who frowned at him before putting it to his ear.

 

            “This is Rufus Shinra,” the President said.

 

            “Well hello, sir!” answered the young man on the other line, “My name is Kadaj and you’ve got our Mother.”

 

            Rufus pulled the phone away from his ear for a moment and gave it a comical look of bewilderment before putting it back to his ear.  “This is either the poorest prank I’ve ever had the displeasure of experiencing, or you’re quite heavily medicated.  I believe you have the wrong number, Kadaj.”  Before the boy could respond, Rufus pushed the “end” button and handed the phone back to Reno.

 

            “Uh, sir…he was calling from Tseng’s phone,” Reno informed him as he took the cell back.

 

            Rufus nodded.  “So I noticed.  I refuse to speak with someone who can’t form a coherent sentence.  Perhaps when he calls back, he’ll take me seriously enough to make some sense.”

 

            Reno and Rude exchanged a shrug between each other, both of them thinking the President’s logic wasn’t entirely solid.

 

~****************************************~

 

            Late in the afternoon, Reno was having a cigarette outside when he spotted a familiar blonde riding up the trail on an impressive, black motorcycle.  He stubbed his cigarette out and went inside to let Rufus and Rude know.  Rude took Rufus into the bedroom and Reno waited in the den.  The door started to open without anyone knocking and Reno immediately jumped to the attack, thinking Strife would have knocked first and fearing that the person coming in was Kadaj or one of his gang.

 

            Cloud sidestepped his attack and Reno overbalanced and ended up outside.  He turned around and intended to charge back in, but Cloud slammed the door in his face and locked it.

 

            “Okay, so you’re good,” Reno sighed.  “Yo, I thought you were someone else, man.  Lemme in!”

 

            Rude came out of the bedroom and eyed Cloud warily.  He started to shift into a fighting stance but the blonde leveled a huge, wicked-looking sword at him, just inches from his face.  Rude forced himself to relax and Rufus wheeled out of the bedroom, softly praising Cloud.

 

            “You once claimed to be a 1st class Soldier,” Rufus said while Cloud’s vivid blue eyes stared at him narrowly.  “It’s good to see you haven’t lost your touch.”

 

            “Rufus Shinra?” Cloud said with surprise.  He looked at Rude and grimaced.  “Man, I feel sorry for you guys.”

 

            Rude started to react to the insult but Rufus stayed him with his hand and the bald man grunted instead.

 

            “I escaped the explosion—” Rufus began.

 

            “What do you want from me?” Cloud interrupted.

 

            “…I managed to get out—”  The President tried to continue.

 

            “Who were the guys that attacked me?” Cloud interrupted again.

 

            “…before the building collapsed—” Rufus trailed off in confusion.  Strife was interrupting him so fast that their words were clashing together and he wondered what he meant with the question about the attack.

 

            “I’m leaving!” Cloud interrupted again.

 

            “We need your assistance, Cloud,” Rufus said, trying to stall the blonde fighter.

 

            “Not interested,” Cloud said as he turned to go.

 

            “We’re trying to set things right,” Rufus persisted.  “I realize that the world is in such a sorry state largely because of my company’s actions.  I would like to try and correct that, but in order to do so I need assistance.”

 

            “Yo, I’m still out here!” Reno hollered.  Cloud kicked the door in annoyance to shut him up and he reluctantly listened to Rufus talk.

 

            “Our first step was to investigate the Northern Cave.” Rufus said.  Cloud hesitated and looked uncertain, but Rufus wasn’t sure that blonde could be persuaded to help, so he decided not to tell him about Jenova’s head until he got verbal agreement from him.  “You can relax.  We didn’t find anything.  However, our search was interrupted by three men.  You mentioned something about being attacked yourself.  I wonder if it could be the same men that assaulted my Turks.  Kadaj and his gang are quite unstable.”

 

            Recognition lit Cloud’s eyes and Rufus knew his guess was correct.  “It seems that Kadaj doesn’t want us to finish what we started.  Really, I can’t imagine what he could be thinking.”

 

            “They were saying something about ‘Mother’ to me,” Cloud admitted with a frown.  “Does that mean anything to you?”

 

            “Hmm, ‘Mother’,” Rufus said thoughtfully, considering the object he had hidden under the sheets.  “It’s very strange.  He mentioned something of the sort to us, as well.  There are a lot of orphans who miss their parents, Cloud.  Perhaps Kadaj and his gang lost theirs and they blame us.”

 

            “But what does that have to do with me?” Cloud said with a dubious frown.

 

            “You know us, don’tcha?” Reno said through the door.  “Guilt by association, yo.”

 

            Cloud kicked the door again and grimaced.

 

            “Cloud look,” Rufus reasoned, “You’re really all we have, and it would be in our best interest to hire a little muscle.  You’re a former Soldier, aren’t you?  Would it really be so bad to go back to your roots for a while and help ShinRa, when the result could benefit everyone who’s suffering and dying?”

 

            “I was only a Soldier in my head,” Cloud grumbled as he turned around and opened the door.  “I make deliveries now.”

 

            Reno stood in his way and he smiled at the blonde engagingly.  “Come on Cloud…we could rebuild ShinRa.”

 

            Rufus groaned inwardly, seeing Cloud tense.  That was the wrong thing to say to convince the fighter to help.  Cloud glared at the redhead and shoved past him.

 

            “Reno,” sighed Rufus in exasperation.  The redhead winced and gave him an apologetic look as he walked through the door and closed it behind him, locking it for good measure.

 

            “Sorry boss…I shouldn’t have said that to him.  I’m not as subtle as you.”  Reno knelt in front of Rufus’s wheelchair and put a hand on his knee.  “Want us to try and go after him?”

 

            Rufus shook his head.  “That would only make him more determined to refuse, I’m afraid.  We’ll simply have to do the best we can with what’s available to us.”

 

            Reno winced.  They were short two Turks and even if they called more from other parts of the world to come and help, they probably wouldn’t make it before Kadaj tracked them down.

 

~*************************************~

 

            The sun was just beginning to set when the door burst open for the second time that day.  Reno was sitting on the couch beside Rude and the two of them jumped to their feet and reached for their weapons as a young man with shoulder-length silver hair charged in, wielding a double-bladed sword.  Reno charged his EMR and launched an attack against the stranger.  He hesitated briefly when he saw the young man’s eyes, his mind reeling with shock.  They were emerald green and for a moment, the pupils appeared slitted.

 

            Reno had no time to ponder what he’d seen.  The silver-haired teenager dodged his attack and kicked him hard enough to send him sprawling across the floor.  He groaned and picked himself up, warning Rufus to get into the bedroom.  The President didn’t move, knowing that it would do him no good to do as Reno asked.  Rude managed to score a hit on the teenager but his weapon flew out of his hand and skittered across the floor as he blocked the other man’s swinging sword.  He leaped aside as the young man slashed at him again, narrowly avoiding being eviscerated. 

 

            Reno yelled and charged again, this time succeeding in scoring a blow on the stranger’s shoulder before he was again knocked down.  He hit his head hard on the wooden floor and he lost consciousness.  Rude soon joined him as the stranger bested him and Rufus watched tensely as the black leather-clad teenager stepped gracefully over the bodies of his Turks and approached him.

 

            “Kadaj, I presume,” Rufus said. 

 

            The teenager smiled at him.  But for the madness in his eyes, he was quite fetching—practically beautiful, in fact.  “I really hate liars,” the young man stated as he stopped before the President and gazed down at him.

 

            “My apologies,” Rufus said politely,  “This time you’ll get the truth.  The object you’re seeking was lost when my people retreated from you in the crater.  I’m afraid they were careless.”

 

            “Is that right?”  Kadaj said in a bored tone.

 

            “I swear it,” promised the President.

 

            Kadaj shrugged.  “Fine.  Then swear on these.”  He tossed something to floor at Rufus’s feet and the blonde recognized Tseng and Elena’s ID cards.  Both of them were soiled with dried splatters of blood and Rufus clenched his hands into fists.

 

            “Why did you do this?” Rufus asked in a low, dangerous tone.  He was only a moment away from drawing his hidden gun and firing at that smug, ethereal face.

 

            Kadaj began to explain and what at first sounded like sheer insanity began to make a horrible kind of sense to Rufus.  The moment the boy mentioned the word “reunion” and his pupils stretched into slits, the blonde understood what he and his gang were.  Remnants.  They were, quite literally, created from Sephiroth’s consciousness and Jenova’s cells.  If they got their hands on Jenova’s head the nightmare would begin all over again.  Geostigma was a conscious effort on Jenova’s part to bring Sephiroth back to life, and Kadaj and his ‘brothers’ were the harbingers of that event.

 

            “I’m afraid I can’t help you,” Rufus said calmly after Kadaj finished speaking. 

 

            Kadaj’s features twisted into a snarl.  “Then I suppose I’ll just have to use more creative methods to find Mother.  Don’t get too comfortable, sir.  I’ll be coming back for you sooner or later.” 

 

Kadaj walked away then, surprising Rufus.  Clearly the young man was as mad as Sephiroth had been and he doubted his “brothers” were any saner.  When the teenager was gone, Rufus wheeled himself to Reno and struggled out of his chair to kneel beside him.

 

“Reno,” he murmured.  He heard Rude groan so he knew the bald man at least was coming out of it.  He shook Reno gently and swallowed the fear in his chest.  Rude crawled over to him and added his efforts to wake his partner up.  After a while, Reno’s eyes finally fluttered open and blinked up at the two of them in confusion.

 

“Where is the fucker,” the redhead asked, immediately trying to struggle into a sitting position.

 

“He’s gone,” Rufus assured him, pressing down on Reno’s shoulders to make him be still.  “Just relax for a moment.  I’m going to call a doctor to come and look at the two of you.”

 

“He left?” Reno said with a frown.  “So what, did he just barge in here to kick our asses and gloat at you?  I don’t get it.”

 

“I’ll explain everything after you’ve been examined,” Rufus answered.  “You’re no good to me if you’re too injured to fight.”  He smirked at the redhead as Reno gave him a look that said he knew Rufus was more worried about him than he was letting on.

 

~*********************************~

 

            _After the doctor came and looked us over, Rufus told us everything Kadaj said to him and then he sent us to find Cloud.  I didn’t want to leave him alone but he told me if Kadaj came back for him again he’d just play along and cooperate with him to buy some time.  Yo, I could tell he was working on a plan but the boss never lets people in on his plans until he’s finished making them._

 

            _We flew to Edge and went to the house Cloud was living in, but nobody was there, yo.  Even the orphans living with him and Tifa were gone.  The first place I could think of to check in the city was the old church that Aerith used to hang out in.  We found him there but Strife was conked out in the flower bed with Tifa.  I figured the remnants beat them up too.  Me and Rude carried them out of there and brought ‘em home._

_Cloud was a big ball of angst when he came too.  I’ve never seen anybody brood like that before, yo.  He was worried about the kids but he didn’t have any motivation to go and find them, so we offered to look for ‘em because we figured if we helped him with that, he might change his mind about helping us._

_It wasn’t easy.  We had to ask around to get the information and we found out Kadaj’s gang loaded up a bunch of infected kids and claimed they were going to cure ‘em of Geostigma.  After poking around some more we found someone that overheard one of ‘em mention the Forgotten City, so we hopped into the chopper again and flew there._

~********************************~

 

            There wasn’t a thing they could do for the kids.  Reno and Rude hid and watched as Kadaj convinced all of the infected kids to drink from the stream he’d corrupted.  Without backup, the two Turks didn’t have a chance of stopping them.  Reno silently motioned for Rude and the two of them quietly crept away and moved toward the back of the city. 

 

            “If Strife would snap out of his emo crap, he could probably handle this,” Reno sighed as he and Rude started on the path leading out of the ruined city.  “I don’t know what the fuck’s the matter with him, yo.”

 

            Rude considered it and he noticed something about Cloud’s lethargy that he hadn’t thought of before.  “He’s acting the way Rufus started acting when the infection started getting to him,” he said.

 

            Reno stopped and stared at his partner, his mind going over little details about Strife that were slightly off, like the single sleeve he wore over his left arm.  Reno had thought that was a weird fashion statement but Rude’s observation gave it a chilling new meaning.  “Yo, do ya think he’s got the stigma too?”

 

            “It would explain a few things,” Rude answered with a shrug.  “I guess we won’t know unless he tells us, though.”

 

            Reno opened his mouth to say something in response to that but something red and billowy suddenly dropped down in front of them.  Both Turks tensed and reached for their weapons, but they recognized Vincent Valentine and they hesitated warily.

 

            “I have something of yours,” the dark gunman said abruptly, his crimson eyes cold and emotionless.

 

            The Turks exchanged a suspicious look between them.  “Yeah?” Reno said.  “Like what?”

 

            “Your missing comrades,” Vincent answered.  He gestured for them to follow and he began walking away, toward a set of houses at the back of the city. 

 

            “Yo, you’ve got Tseng and Elena?” Reno asked as he and Rude followed.  “How’d you manage that?”

 

            “Very carefully,” answered the raven-haired shapeshifter without breaking his stride.  “I healed their wounds as best as I could, but it would be wise of you to get them medical attention as quickly as you can.”

 

            He led them into one of the houses and up the stairs to the small bedroom.  Tseng and Elena were both resting on separate single beds.  Reno and Rude anxiously looked them over, taking note of the freshly closed scars on various parts of their bodies.  It looked like Kadaj had played a carving game with their flesh and Reno swore violently and stroked Tseng’s tangled hair.

 

            “I’ll help you get them to your transportation,” Vincent offered.

 

            “Why’d you help ‘em, man?” Reno asked the gunner suspiciously. 

 

            Vincent’s ruby gaze was steady on him.  “Perhaps because I was once a Turk as well.  Some loyalties from my former life still remain.”

 

            Reno’s eyebrows shot up with surprise.  “You were a Turk?  What the hell happened to you?”

 

            “Hojo,” Vincent said simply.  “It was far before your time.”

 

            Reno grimaced.  It seemed like a lot of shit always came down to Hojo.  He was glad the twisted bastard was dead.  “We’d better get them out of here and get back to the boss, yo.”

 

~**************************************~

 

            _We took Tseng and Elena to Junon and brought ‘em to the hospital there.  We didn’t want to take them back to Healin, since Kadaj was probably going to show up there again and the last thing either of them needed was to get caught by that sicko again.  After we checked them into the hospital we flew back to Edge and told Cloud where his orphans were.  He tried to get us to take care of it but we told him to get off his ass and do it himself._

 

            _By the time we got back to Healin, Rufus was nowhere to be found.  Rude found a scrap of paper on the floor by the boss’s bed and it had a single word written on it in Rufus’s handwriting: “Edge”.  How do you like that?  We’d just come from there and it looked like psycho boy was taking him there._

_We fueled up the chopper again and took off for Edge.  On the way there we got a call from Elena.  She and Tseng were awake and feeling strong enough to lend a hand, yo.  I had some doubts about that but at this point, every little bit counted.  I told her where we thought Rufus was and she said they’d get there as soon as they could to help us rescue him._

_Some days, you just wish you never got out of bed, yo._

~*********************************~

 

-To be continued


	23. Chapter 23

“Thanks for the Memories”

A Reno fan fiction

Chapter 23: “Hope”

~*******************************************~

*Disclaimer:  Final Fantasy and all characters therein belong to Square-Enix.  This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can’t get enough of this world and the characters.* 

~***********************************************~

 

            Something big was happening when Reno and Rude got to Edge.  It seemed like most of the population was gathered in the square and the two Turks started to approach, but something made Reno glance up at one of the half-constructed buildings across the street. 

 

            “Sir!” Reno gasped when he met Rufus’s eyes across the distance.  The President was on the twenty-sixth floor of the building.  The floor he was on didn’t have any windows yet and he sat perilously close to the edge.  Reno started toward the building but Rufus gave a barely perceptible shake of his head, communicating with his stern gray eyes that he didn’t want the Turks rushing to help him.  Kadaj came up behind him and Reno snarled with helpless frustration, understanding that any attempt to go to his aid might result in the remnant pushing Rufus out of the building to his death.

 

            People started to scream from the direction of the square and Reno turned at the sound.  “What the hell’s going on?” he snapped.

 

            Rude spotted a strange, wicked-looking beast pouncing on a civilian.  “Someone’s attacking the center of town, I guess.”  He grabbed Reno by the arm.  “Come on, partner.  We’ll find a way to help the boss after we see what’s going on.”

 

            Reno shot one more look up at Rufus, promising him with his eyes that he’d find some way to get him out of Kadaj’s grasp.  He hurried after his partner toward the monument in the center of town and as soon as they reached the central area, they were met with a wave of panicked humanity and shadowy beasts.  Rude hurled his body to one side as one of the monsters leaped for him and he quickly drew his gun and shot it until it stopped moving.  Reno frowned as he caught sight of the monument.  Standing around its base were all of the infected children and they looked like they were in some sort of trance.  Kadaj’s two brothers were at the base of the statue and they were tugging on the chains connected to it.

 

            Reno would have scoffed at the sight of the two men trying to pull down the huge monument but he’d seen how strong Kadaj was.  With their inhuman origins, they just might be strong enough to pull it off.  Why the hell they were trying was another matter.  Reno’s cellphone rang and he picked it up and dodged a panicked woman that ran straight at him. 

 

            “Reno here,” he grunted.

 

            “It’s Tseng,” answered a tired voice on the other line.

 

            “Yo, where are you man?” Reno looked around, half expecting to see the Wutaian materialize out of thin air.

 

            “We’ve arrived in the city and we’re tracking Rufus,” answered the Turk Director.  “You and Rude should concentrate on distracting the other remnants to give us some time.”

 

            “I can tell you right where the boss is,” Reno said as he looked over his shoulder at the building he’d seen him in.  “You know that office building that’s half-built, near the highway?  It’s overlooking the center of town.”

 

            “I think I know which one you’re talking about, yes.  The tracking monitor seems to agree with you.”

 

            Reno wondered for a moment how Rufus had found the time to plant a bug on himself, but then he remembered how they’d found him after Diamond Weapon fired on the old ShinRa headquarters.  Evidently Kadaj hadn’t thought to take the President’s cellphone from him and toss it away.  “He looked like he was okay when I saw him,” Reno said, “but Kadaj might send him on a one-way trip to the street at any moment, yo.  Be careful, man.”

 

            “Of course,” Tseng answered calmly.  “Do what you can to stall his brothers while Elena and I go after Rufus.”

 

            Reno hung up the phone and nodded to his partner, drawing his weapon and advancing on the two distracted remnants.  He slapped his EMR against his shoulder and smirked at the silver-haired men.  “And what are we up to?” he called out cockily.

 

            They paused and looked at the pair.  “We know Mother is here,” said the one with the long, flowing silver hair in a sleepy voice.

 

            “Yeah,” said the muscular one with a frown.  “This…uh…this thing?  ShinRa built it.”

 

            Reno snorted.  “Damn, you’re just too clever for us, yo.”

 

            “The thing is, you’re wrong.” Added Rude.

 

            “Sorry kiddies, we just don’t know where your Ma is.”  Reno shrugged and shared a laugh with his partner.

 

            The graceful one took a step forward, tilting his head dreamily.  “I suppose the peons aren’t trusted enough to know,” he said with a smirk.

 

            Reno scowled at him and muttered out the corner of his mouth to Rude:  “Okay, you take Dum-Dum and I’ll take the walking shampoo commercial.” 

 

            “Solid,” Rude agreed. 

 

            Reno charged in with a yell and activated his EMR while Rude followed.  A burst of energy exploded in the clouds above the city but neither Turk paid attention to it until a huge, monstrous form perched on top of the monument.  Reno skidded to a halt and stared up at the beast, forgetting all about his initial target in his shock.  He wasn’t paying attention and he flung his weapon back, hitting Rude in the nose with it.

 

            “Shit,” Reno gasped.

 

            “Oh, hell no,” Rude muttered. 

 

            “Where’d it come from?  Looks like a Bahamut summons!” Reno backed up a couple of steps as the beast began to tear at the monument with its claws and mouth.

 

            “Who cares, let’s motor,” Rude said sensibly, still clutching his smarting nose.  He narrowly avoided getting smacked in the face again as his partner did an about-face and swung his weapon wildly.  “Watch what you’re doing with that, man!”

 

            Reno and Rude charged away from the roaring dragon-beast and the redhead skidded to a halt again when he ran past one of the dazed children.  “Shit,” he swore for the second time as he knelt and grabbed the kid.  He grunted when the little boy absently stuck his fingers up his nostrils.  “Don’t make me change my mind about saving your ass, kid,” the Turk warned as he jerked his head away from the groping fingers.  He picked the boy up and continued running.  Rude was at his side and he noticed that the bald man was carrying two kids—one under each arm.

 

            “Is it coming after us?” Reno yelled.

 

            “Why don’t you ask it?” Rude snapped in annoyance.

 

            They heard the flap of huge wings and they pushed their tiring bodies for further speed, unsure of what Bahamut was going to do next.  The answer came when the buildings around them lit up with blue-white light and a concussive force hit them from behind and hurled them through the air.  Reno shouted and held the kid tight against his body as he landed painfully several feet later.  He heard Rude groaning beside him and he rolled off of the kid and struggled to get to his feet.  He heard booted footsteps behind him and the calm, droning voice of his chosen opponent.

 

            “Are we having fun yet?” the long-haired man asked in a softly amused voice.

 

            _~And people think I’m crazy.  These guys make me look like a regular Mellow Melvin, yo.~_

            Reno looked up at his enemy and shot a reckless smile at him.  “I’m havin’ the time of my life!”  He abruptly jumped up and laid into the remnant with everything he had, while his partner faced off with the bigger guy.  For a while they held their own and they finally learned that Reno’s opponent was called Yazoo and Rude’s was called Loz.  Reno was starting to think they were winning, until Yazoo aimed a kick at him that sent him flying through the air.  He managed to catch himself on an overhead street sign but in his struggle to hang onto the pole it was attached to he knocked it off.  He heard a metallic clunk as it fell and he looked down to see that he’d managed to drop the sign on poor Rude’s head.

 

            “Sonofa—” Rude grumbled as he shook his head to clear it.

 

            “Oh, fuck,” Reno groaned as he lost his grip and fell.  Rude had just managed to catch his balance after getting hit with the sign when Reno fell on top of him.

 

            “Oof!”  The bald Turk’s breath exploded in a rush as the smaller man’s weight knocked him to the ground.  As the two of them struggled to their feet yet again, the two remnants they were fighting closed in on them again and asked where their Mother was.

 

            “Mother, schmother,” Reno grumbled as he dusted off his suit.  “It’s Jenova’s fucking head!”

 

            Both of the silver-haired men took grave offense at that and the big one even sounded like he was going to cry.  Rude apologized absently and Reno followed suit until he realized who he was apologizing to and why. 

 

“What the hell am I saying?!” the redhead growled.  He leaped high into the air over Loz and Rude’s heads and Yazoo did the same.  While Loz looked up at the spectacle, Rude took advantage of the moment and slugged him good and hard.  Reno slammed his EMR into Yazoo and sent him tumbling to the ground.  When the redhead landed he grinned cockily at his partner and gave him the thumbs up.

 

            The celebration only lasted until Loz came barreling at the two of them again.  The impact sent them skidding across the pavement and Reno had fresh road rash on his chest and left arm to go with all of the new bruises when he and Rude dragged themselves off of the pavement.  Yazoo and Loz closed in on them again, laughing darkly as the partners panted and tried to find the strength to keep fighting.

 

            Several things happened at once. 

 

~************************************~

 

            “This is too much fun, sir!” Kadaj admired the glow of the cooling materia on his wrist and he smiled at Rufus.  “What do you think I should do next?”

 

            Rufus looked up at the unstable young man and summoned what was left of his strength.  “I think we’ve had enough fun for today,” he said as he stood up and yanked the concealing blanket off of his body.  Kadaj stared at him with wide eyes as he held up the black box he’d had with him all along, waving it teasingly at the teenager.  “A good son would have known,” Rufus said with a wicked smile. 

 

            “Mother,” Kadaj whimpered.

 

            Rufus threw the box over the side of the building and Kadaj’s eyes followed it frantically as it began to fall to the concrete below.  The teenager turned to him and glared malevolently before shouting with incoherent fury.  He let loose with a spell, striking Rufus in the head.  The force of the strike unraveled the blonde’s bandages and forced him over the side of the building.

 

~***********************************~

 

            Reno was vaguely aware that Cloud and his friends were taking care of Bahamut and he got his confirmation that they succeeded when the summoned beast fell from the sky in the distance.  The resulting crash of its body shook the ground and Reno had to brace his legs to keep from falling.  He and Rude shared a brief smirk at Strife’s success, but their own situation was far from resolved.  As they prepared for their opponents’ next attack, there was an explosion in the building where Rufus and Kadaj were.  Both Turks and the two remnants looked up to see Rufus Shinra falling from the building.

 

            “Sir, no!”  Reno and Rude both hollered at the same time.

 

            Kadaj dove out of the burning building and Rufus was firing his gun at him with cool detachment, seemingly unconcerned that he was falling to his death.  The teenager was reaching desperately for a familiar black box that was falling before him and one of Rufus’s bullets hit it just before Kadaj got his hands on it.

 

            Reno was just about to start forward and throw himself out beneath Rufus to break his fall, even if it killed him.  Tseng and Elena appeared on either side of the building and at first he thought they were shooting at Rufus, but the guns they fired were specialized ShinRa devices meant to save lives rather than end them.  A pair of nets spread out beneath the falling President as the Turks fired and Reno heard his lover’s soft grunt as the netting caught him and stopped his fall.

 

            Kadaj landed on his feet in the street, unharmed.  Reno and Rude were only steps away but the redhead’s knees were shaking so bad with relief he could hardly remain standing, let alone attack the teenager.  Rude started toward Kadaj and the other two remnants took a few steps toward the bald man to stop him.  The heavy rumble of an approaching motorcycle engine gave them all pause and they looked to see Cloud Strife speeding down the street towards them on his custom bike.  His sword was drawn and there was murder in his bright blue eyes. 

 

            Kadaj’s only goal was to receive Jenova’s cells for the reunion, so rather than stay and fight with the blonde, he ran to his bike.  His two brothers forgot about the Turks and did the same, following him to guard him from Cloud.  Reno looked up at Rufus’s snared, unmoving form and the strength returned to his legs with a rush of adrenaline-fueled desperation.  Tseng and Elena held the nets steady while Reno climbed the construction canvas stretched over the bottom floors of the building to get the President.  Rude followed at a slower pace, unable to match Reno’s nimble dexterity and passion.

 

            “Rufus,” called the redhead as he reached the floor his boss was suspended over and inched his way over to him.  Rufus groaned softly in response and Reno sighed in relief.  “I’m coming for ya boss!  Hang on.”

 

            Rufus stirred and turned his head, looking blearily at the redhead as he nimbly made his way over to him.  He cracked a weak smile.  “Determination, thy name is Reno.”  He sighed and closed his eyes, his body feeling strangely light.  He lost consciousness again just as Reno got to him and carefully unhooked the grappling claws that attached the nets to the building.  When he came out of his swoon again, Rude was with the redhead and they were lowering him down with Tseng and Elena’s help.  The blackness again took him until his Turks replaced him in his wheelchair and stood around him.

 

            “Help…stop them,” Rufus said drowsily to Reno as he struggled to make out the redhead’s fine-sculpted features.  Reno was leaning over him and his face was only inches away, but the ordeal Rufus had just been through sapped what was left of his strength and his eyes couldn’t even focus properly.  “You and Rude…are the only ones…fit enough to do it.  Give Strife…whatever aid you can.  End this.”

 

            Reno nodded.  “Yes sir.” 

 

            Rufus heard the husky note in the redhead’s voice and he smiled weakly.  “I’m still…here…Reno.”

 

            He felt the Turk’s hand stroke his face and he raised his own hand with effort and patted it.  “Go.”

 

            Reno straightened up and swallowed, forcing a cocky grin as he looked to Rude.  “Well partner, it looks like the shitheads took the intercity highway.  Let’s get to the chopper and head ‘em off, yo.”  He nodded to Tseng and Elena, who had found the blanket Rufus was wearing and were covering him back up with it to keep him warm.  “Great working with you, guys.”

 

            Elena frowned at him as he and Rude jogged away.  “Why did he say that?”

 

            “I don’t think he believes he’ll see us again,” Tseng answered dully.

 

            Rufus closed his blurry eyes and wondered if he’d just sent his favorite Turk to his death.

 

~**********************************~

 

            Reno followed the motorcycle fight between Cloud and Kadaj’s two “brothers”.  He hovered the chopper over it until the three of the embattled men entered one of the long tunnels in the highway.  Kadaj was on a different ramp, trying to speed away while his fellow remnants distracted Strife.  Reno increased the aircraft’s speed and flew to the other side of the tunnel, touching down on the road outside the exit.  He and Rude got out of the chopper and walked to the mouth of the tunnel.  Reno lit a cigarette and took the impressive bundle of dynamite his partner offered him.

 

            “So partner,” Reno said after taking a deep drag off his clove.  “This thing have any bite to it?”  He nodded at the bomb meaningfully.

 

            Rude held up his own bomb—sister to the one he’d given Reno.  “ShinRa technology at its finest, man.  If nothing else, it’s…flashy.”

 

            “Sexy,” Reno smirked.

 

            “You’ll love it,” Rude promised. 

 

            “Guess we’re clocking out early today,” Reno sighed.  He lifted his arm and studied the bangle he’d put on his wrist.  Rude likewise wore one and they were both equipped with protective materia that should—in theory—shield their bodies from the heat of the explosion.  The concussion and the flying shrapnel that would result was another matter, though.  It was all in the timing. 

 

            They waited together and listened to the sounds of clashing metal and growling engines drawing closer from within the depths of the tunnel.  After a while they spotted Cloud riding toward them at break-neck speed.  Reno waved at the blonde impulsively as he and Rude set their bombs on the asphalt and set them to go off.  A reckless little smile spread over Reno’s lips and he saw Cloud’s head whip around to look at him as the blonde fighter sped by.  A few seconds later, Yazoo and Loz came around the curve in the tunnel and the dynamite exploded in a fit of sparking fireworks and hot napalm.

 

            “You crazy sonofabitch!” Reno thought he heard Cloud yell in the distance. 

 

The last thing the redhead saw was Cloud’s bike being propelled into the air by the concussive force of the blast.  Rude caught him around the waist and accidentally knocked his head against the pavement as he covered his body protectively with his own.  Reno felt the sharp pain of the impact and then his world went black.

 

~***********************************~

 

            When Reno came too, he was slung over his partner’s shoulders and being carried.  He groaned and lifted his head with effort.  “Yo Rude…we ain’t dead?”  His throat felt raw and the road-rash on his chest and arm burned like mad, but he was un-singed and nothing felt broken.

 

            “I’m in too much pain to be dead,” the bald man grunted as he squatted down and let Reno slide off of him.  “Think you can walk, Red?”

 

            “Let’s find out,” Reno answered hoarsely.  He stumbled a little but didn’t fall as he was set onto his feet.  “Looks like the old legs work, yo.  How are you holding up?”

 

            Rude rubbed his right shoulder.  “I’ll live.  I won’t like it, but I’ll live.  The chopper’s history so we’ll have to walk back to the boss and the others on foot.”

 

            “Did we get ‘em though?” Reno wondered, looking up at the overpass.  He blinked and looked at his partner again.  “How the hell did you get down from there with me draped over your shoulders?”

 

            “I jumped.”

 

            Reno’s eyes bugged out.  “You JUMPED?  How come we ain’t roadkill, then?”

 

            “Wall spell,” Rude explained, raising his wrist and pointing out a cracked, yellow materia fused into the bangle.  “It killed the materia but it broke our fall.”

 

            Reno gave a low whistle.  “When you take a gamble, you don’t play around.”  He put an arm around the bigger man’s shoulders and sighed.  “So do you think we got ‘em or what?”

 

            “I saw them go flying when the explosion went off,” Rude said with a brief smirk.  “I didn’t see any body parts though.  Your guess is as good as mine.”

 

~********************************~

 

            Rufus had slipped into a coma by the time Reno and Rude got back to where they’d left him and the others.  Reno squatted before the wheelchair and peered up at his face through the folds of the blanket, placing his hands on his knees and squeezing gently. 

 

            “We did like you said, boss.  We couldn’t do anything about Kadaj but we gave the other two a nasty surprise and got them off Strife’s back.  It’s up to him now, I guess.”  Reno swallowed and pressed his lips together.  “Rufus?”

 

            The President was unresponsive and his pale lashes remained lowered.  His breathing was shallow but even.  Tseng put a hand on Reno’s shoulder comfortingly.  “He’s feeling no pain now.  For that at least, we can be thankful.”

 

            Reno’s chest constricted and his hands curled into fists on top of his unconscious lover’s knees.  “Goddammit,” he swore in a quivering, ragged voice.  He struggled to hold his emotions in check, breathing heavily with the effort not to break down and cry into the comatose man’s lap.

 

            Rude started to put his arms around him but Reno pushed him away and shook his head.  “Nuh-uh…that just…makes it worse.  I’m gonna go have a smoke, man.”

 

            His fellow Turks watched him go around the corner of the building, not fooled in the least.  Reno was going to grieve in private.  He was a very passionate man but he hated to cry in front of others, thinking it would make him look weak. 

 

Elena’s tears steadily dripped down her face but as the woman in the group, she didn’t have a macho reputation to uphold.  Tseng was somber and quiet, occasionally reaching out to stroke Rufus’s blanket-covered head.  Rude stood frozen, staring after his partner with a tense jaw.  He could faintly hear Reno’s ragged weeping and his partner’s misery hurt more than Rufus’s impending death.  He respected Rufus and he was one of the most loyal Turks there were, but Rude had never developed the strong connection to him that Reno and Tseng had.

 

            On the other side of the building, Reno crouched against the wall and held his head in his hands.  The pain was so great it made him physically ache.  He’d bitten his lip so hard to hold back his sobs that it was bleeding and he rocked to and fro as he tried to get a hold of himself.  He heard a crack of thunder and the air temperature dropped, but it was distant and unimportant to him.  It wasn’t until it started to get dark at an alarming rate that the redhead raised his head and looked up at the sky with reddened eyes.  He quieted and frowned as he watched clouds roll in and spin over Midgar like a maelstrom. 

 

            “Now what?” Reno whispered, getting to his feet and rubbing his eyes.  People ran by him on the street, some heading for shelter and others seeking a better vantage point to see what was causing the strange weather.  He pulled a handkerchief out of his blazer and blew his nose before walking back around the corner to rejoin his companions.

 

            Elena winced as a fork of lightning ripped across the sky over their heads, close enough to leave the scent of burnt ozone.  Thunder boomed loud enough to shake windows and she pressed closer to Tseng.  Rude thoughtfully wheeled Rufus into the entrance to the parking garage of the unfinished building, thinking that the metal chair could attract a lightning strike if left in the open.  Reno came back and yelled something that got drowned out in another thunderclap.  He was pointing toward the center of Midgar and the old Headquarters.

 

            Tseng opened up his briefcase and searched inside until he found a pair of small binoculars.  He brought them to his eyes and scanned upwards, toward the old city where Reno was pointing.  He thought he saw activity around the old ShinRa tower and he frowned and adjusted the focus.  When he spotted Strife fighting a familiar figure with flowing silver hair and an abnormally long, slim sword, he nearly dropped the binoculars.

 

            “Am I imagining it, or is someone fighting up there?” Reno said as loudly as his ravaged voice would let him.

 

            “You aren’t imagining it,” Tseng answered as he handed the binoculars to his subordinate.  “I know what’s causing this storm, now.”

 

            Reno took the specs and peered through them, aiming where he’d seen the flashes of metal and collapsing structures.  “Holy fuck,” he rasped.  He was just in time to see Sephiroth drop the top of the tower on Cloud.  He thought Blondie was as good as dead but the fighter exploded into motion.  It was too far away and it happened too fast for Reno to see more than a blur of activity and the flash of Cloud’s swords, but when the debris settled the blonde was still alive and Sephiroth was coming after him.

 

            “Rude, you’ve gotta see this,” Reno said, motioning to his partner.  “I’ve never seen a fucking fight like this before, yo.”  He was so amazed by the spectacle that the return of Sephiroth hardly even fazed him.

 

            Rude came up beside him and Reno handed over the binoculars.  The bald man looked through them and let Reno guide him.  At first he didn’t see anything but then he caught sight of the combatants on what was left of a nearby roof.  They’d evidently moved from the spot Reno and Tseng had been watching.  Rude’s eyebrows shot up and he pulled the binoculars away.

 

            “Sephiroth?” He asked in a disbelieving tone.

 

            “Yeah, looks like it,” Reno answered.

 

            “It seems Kadaj was successful in his efforts,” Tseng guessed.  “I’m not entirely clear on it, but from what I understand of what Rufus said the true purpose of this ‘reunion’ that the remnants were striving to complete was to revive Sephiroth.  If I’m correct, he’s using the corruption of spirit energy from the Lifestream to create this storm.” 

 

            “Yo, why aren’t his buddies helping?” Reno asked as he looked up and noticed Cid Highwind’s airship hovering over the city.

 

            “Perhaps they don’t think they can be of any help,” Tseng reasoned.  “Or they could be waiting for a more opportune moment.  I trust they know best.”

 

            Elena watched next and she sighed with admiration as the two swordsmen fought violently.  She winced when she saw Sephiroth stab Cloud in the shoulder and lift him on the tip of his sword.  “I think it’s about to be all over for him…and us,” she said uncertainly.

 

            “Lemme see,” Reno said.  She handed the binoculars to him, not really wanting to see Cloud die.  He looked through them and clenched his jaw as he watched.  “Come on, Blondie…don’t let him carve you up.”

 

            Cloud moved suddenly and he was free of the impaling length of Sephiroth’s sword.  He twirled his own sword over his head and Reno’s brows furrowed as the weapon looked like it split apart into several smaller swords. 

 

            “What the hell?” Reno muttered.  He then witnessed the most spectacular fighting combo he’d ever seen.  Cloud shot around in a blur, grabbing the swords one by one and stabbing Sephiroth with them in passing until none were left.  The redhead jumped a little in startled surprise when a single black wing sprouted from Sephiroth’s back and curled around him like a cocoon.  He’d seen the phenomenon years ago on Genesis but he’d never witnessed it happening to Sephiroth before. 

 

            The dark clouds began to evaporate and beams of sunlight escaped through the softer cloud-cover.  Sephiroth seemed to evaporate and a smaller form took his place and fell to the ground.  Reno narrowed his eyes and finally identified it as Kadaj.

 

            “Yo, I think Strife did it,” he said uncertainly. 

 

            Rude wheeled Rufus out from under the shelter again and Tseng checked his vitals.  “We should get him to a hospital,” the Wutaian said softly. 

 

            “They can’t do anything for him,” Elena replied, her feelings torn between relief that the threat of Sephiroth was apparently over with and depression over Rufus’s condition.

 

            “Perhaps not,” Tseng answered, “but there’s a chance—however slim it may be—that a cure can be found before he passes away.  If nothing else, they can prolong his life to increase his chances.”

 

             Ordinarily, Tseng was the sort of man that accepted death when it came.  His willingness to take extreme measures for Rufus’s sake showed how much the man meant to him.  Reno nodded in agreement and approached the President’s still form.  The others gathered around as well and gazed down at their leader in respectful silence.  A warm, gentle rain began to fall and Reno looked up at the sky for a moment and sighed.

 

            “Uh, guys?”  Elena said suddenly.  “Guys…look at the boss!”

 

            Reno’s heart stopped for a moment and his eyes snapped down to Rufus, expecting to find him dead.  His eyebrows hedged in confusion when he saw what was happening.  Where the rain struck the infected skin on Rufus’s body, a green vapor rose.

 

            _~Shit, is it melting him or something?~_

            Reno came very close to grabbing the handles of his lover’s wheelchair and running him back into shelter, until he saw that the discoloration from the infection began to fade.  For a moment, all four of the Turks stared down at Rufus in stunned surprise.  Tseng came out of his daze first and he quickly pulled the sheet off of Rufus and worked at his clothes and bandages to expose him more fully to the cleansing rain.

 

            “Are you stripping him naked?” Elena asked with wide eyes.

 

            Tseng paused, considering it seriously for a moment.  “Actually, that isn’t a bad idea.  The three of you take his sheet and hold it around him so that we don’t inadvertently give any passing civilians an interesting view.  If this rain is truly curing the stigma then we can’t afford to worry about modesty.”

 

            “Oh my god,” Elena said with a blush.  She took her ends of the sheet and held them out wide.  Reno and Rude did the same, creating a makeshift privacy curtain for Tseng and Rufus. 

 

            A couple passed by on the street and looked at them curiously. 

 

“Got a problem?” Reno snapped, prompting them to hurry away.

 

Tseng worked quickly to remove the President’s clothes.  The green vapors rose steadily from Rufus’s body as the rain struck his skin and washed away his infection.  Elena glanced down at the man’s pale chest and squeaked when Tseng’s hands deftly undid his belt buckle and unzipped his fly.  She averted her eyes and shut them tightly to avoid the temptation of ogling her boss.

 

Reno shook his head and rolled his eyes at Rude.  The only reason he could think for Elena to be this skittish over the sight of the boss’s bare flesh was the fact that he was her boss.  He focused his attention to the rise and fall of Rufus’s damp chest and he was sure his breathing was growing stronger and deeper.

 

_~Open your eyes, baby.  Wake up for us.~_

Reno bit his lip and waited tensely.  After a few moments, Rufus was stark nude in the wheelchair and his clothes were in a pile on the concrete.  Tseng smoothed the President’s damp hair away from his eyes and murmured softly to him.  Reno hooted hoarsely with excitement when Rufus’s head lolled and his eyelids fluttered. 

 

“Sir?” Rude said, “Are you awake?”

 

Rufus mumbled something and lifted his head.  His eyes opened and blinked.  They were still covered with a milky film but the rainwater leaked into them and they cleared.  The first person those clear gray eyes focused on was Reno.

 

“Hey boss,” rasped the redhead with a huge grin.  “How ya feeling?”

 

Rufus turned his head slowly and took in his surroundings, looking at each of them in turn before peering at the sheet they held around him and finally looking down at his body.  “Confused,” he said softly.  “Someone explain to me why I’m naked and wet.”

 

“The rain possesses a property that’s cleansing the Geostigma away,” Tseng answered with a soft smile.  “I undressed you to expose you to it completely, Koibito.  Our apologies for putting you in such an indignant position, but I assumed you’d prefer to be cured over being clothed.”

 

“I…see…” Rufus said slowly.  He lifted an arm experimentally.  The muscles were still weak and a little sluggish to respond but he could feel his strength returning little by little.  “What caused this rain?”

 

“It started after Strife took out Sephiroth,” Rude answered.

 

“Sephiroth?” Rufus repeated with a frown.  “Then, Kadaj succeeded in his mission?”

 

“Yeah, but Cloud took care of it anyway, yo,” Reno said,  “Sephiroth’s toast and I guess Kadaj and his gang are too.”

 

Rufus sighed and relaxed.  “I’d like my clothing, please.”

 

Tseng started to retrieve the pile of garments but Reno shook his head.  “Nuh-uh…I don’t want him putting those back on.  They were rubbing against his skin when he had the stigma, man.”

 

“What would you suggest, Fox?” Rufus questioned dryly.  “Shall I streak through Edge in celebration?  By the way, you’re dropping your part of the sheet and that old woman is gawking at me.”

 

Reno turned his head to see that Rufus wasn’t pulling his leg.  The old woman passing by on the street was staring at Rufus and she wasn’t watching where she was going.  She stumbled a little and Reno quickly pulled the sheet back up and snickered. 

 

“Look at it this way boss,” he whispered, “You probably just gave her the first thrill she’s had in ages, yo.”

 

Rufus smirked and covered his groin with his hands just in case one of his Turks slipped again.  “I can’t very well sit here all day.”  He saw that Elena’s cheeks were as red as an apple and her eyes were squeezed tightly shut.  “Don’t be such a prude, Elena.  I’ve got nothing you haven’t seen before.”

 

“Sorry sir,” she apologized, biting her lip.  “I just think it would be disrespectful.”

 

Reno snorted, thinking it was more like she was afraid she’d get a nosebleed if she gave the boss a good inspection.  _~Good thing it ain’t Tseng sitting here naked.  She’d probably cream her panties or faint.  Funny how a girl that’s having a fling with a hot young doctor can’t look at her boss’s body without going red-faced and squeaky.~_

“Wait here,” Tseng suggested.  “There’s a clothing shop not far from here.”  He ducked under the sheet and hurried away.

 

Reno’s arms were getting sore…especially the one with the road rash.  His shirt was sticking to the scraped skin and he winced and dropped the sheet a little.

 

“For Shiva’s sake, just wrap me up in the blanket,” Rufus sighed when a couple more people got flashed.

 

“The blanket was against your skin too,” Reno argued stubbornly as he pulled the material up again.

 

“I’m sure it will be fine,” Rufus said with annoyance.  “This is absolutely ridiculous.”

 

Elena dropped her end a little and Rufus cleared his throat and gestured to her.  She couldn’t see the gesture since her eyes were still tightly shut but she realized she was lowering the sheet and she quickly brought it back up.

 

“You can stop snickering, Reno,” Rufus said when the redhead averted his face and shook with laughter he couldn’t quite hold in. 

 

A small group of teenagers were running past and they stopped and stared curiously at the Turks.  “Yo, mind your own business,” Reno said to them between snickers.  “Beat it, man!”

 

His command lacked bite because of his laughter and Rude gave the teens a stern look and reinforced the order.  “Scram,” he said simply.  They were intimidated enough by the powerfully built bald man to move on.

 

Rufus sighed and shook his head.  “Reno, when all of this is finished…” he warned.

 

“Sorry boss,” the redhead grinned down at him.  “I’m just glad to see you acting more like yourself again.”  He tilted his head and admired the blonde’s body for a moment.  Rufus had lost some weight during his illness but he was still hot, despite the dark circles of exhaustion under his eyes.  Rufus was strong-willed and Reno knew he’d be back in top shape in no time, provided the rain had really cured his Geostigma.  He frowned at the possibility of the disease returning and he mentally kicked himself for letting his thoughts go there.

 

“Here comes Tseng,” Rude said with some relief.  The other Turks turned their heads and watched the Wutaian approach at a light jog.  He was out of breath when he reached them and after he ducked under the sheet and handed the set of clothes to Rufus, he put his hands on his knees and took a moment to catch his breath.

 

“It seems we’re all in need of a good rest,” Rufus said.  In a rare display of public affection, he reached out and stroked Tseng’s raven hair.  The rain had stopped falling and late afternoon sunlight broke through the scattered clouds.  Rufus examined the clothing Tseng had brought him and shrugged.  A pair of gray jogging pants and a plain t-shirt was much better than nothing.  Tseng had to help him a bit when he tried to get the pants on because his skin was still damp and the material didn’t slide over his legs easily.  Once that was accomplished, Rufus was able to slip the shirt over his head with relative ease.  He felt stronger already and he carefully rose from the wheelchair and took an experimental step forward.

 

“Shit,” Reno said when the President stumbled.  He dropped the sheet and caught him around the waist, wincing when his raw skin was rubbed with the contact.  “Don’t push it, boss.”

 

“I suppose I’ll have to endure the wheelchair for a little while longer,” Rufus murmured as the redhead helped him sit back down.  “Considering I’m barefooted, it’s probably for the best.”

 

~**********************************************~

 

            _Rufus had to buy a whole new wardrobe, because when we got back to Healin we burned all of his clothes and all the bedding he’d slept on, yo.  He wasn’t too happy about that but since he wasn’t eager to get sick again he didn’t argue much.  I found out that Cloud and his gang made it through all right and that made me kind of happy.  Rufus kept regular doctors appointments for a while to make sure he was clean of the stigma.  It never came back and he was on his feet again and recovering fast after a couple of weeks._  

_I told Ma all about what happened and she came over to check on us a lot for the first month cause we were all in pretty bad shape when we first got back to Healin.  I think Rufus even started getting attached to her, yo.  Elena was still fooling around with that doctor of hers and life was finally getting back to normal for us all—at least, as normal as it was before the plague._

~****************************~

 

            Reno and Rufus walked together in the crisp winter afternoon.  The trees of the forests surrounding Healin were almost bare of leaves now and they’d begun using the fireplaces in the cabin regularly.  Reno scuffed the dead leaves on the path with his shoes and glanced sidelong at his boss.  Rufus looked great now.  He’d regained the weight he’d lost during his illness and the sickly pallor was gone.  His ash-blond hair was shiny and healthy looking, feathered over his brow and stirring in the breeze.  He wore a turquoise sweater, a white winter jacket and a pair of gray jeans.  The semi-casual look was a big turn-on for Reno and the Turk found himself wondering if Rufus’s libido would return soon with his health.

 

            He thought about how many times he’d come close to losing Rufus and an anxious feeling rose in the pit of his stomach.  He wanted the blonde, not just for the physical contact but to reaffirm that Rufus was alive and well.  He wanted to feel him sliding against him and tensing in his arms, wanted to feel his hot breath against his neck and hear those throaty groans he made when the final ecstasy overcame him.

 

            “Something on your mind, Fox?” Rufus asked without breaking stride.  His breath produced puffs of fog in the cold air.

 

            Reno shrugged.  He didn’t want to push the man, knowing what a sensitive subject virility was.  “You look great,” he said simply.

 

            Rufus stopped and smirked at him.  “Why, thank you.  There’s more than that though, isn’t there?”

 

            Reno grimaced.  He never could fully hide things from Rufus.  “That’s the basic gist of it, Sir.  For everything you’ve been through you look fan-fucking-tastic.  You’ve gotta stop doing stuff like that, you know.”

 

            Rufus frowned.  “Like what?”

 

            “Like making me think you’re a dead man.  Let’s go over the list, yo.”  Reno held his hand up and started counting with his fingers.  “First, you nearly had a shootout with your old man.  Then, you stayed behind in Junon when the first Weapon attacked.  After that, you got blown up in your own office—” 

 

“I didn’t get ‘blown up’,” Rufus corrected with a faint laugh.

 

“Well I thought you did,” reminded the Turk.  “Then you almost suffocated to death in that safe and just when I thought you were gonna be okay, you came down with Geostigma.  Next thing I knew you were falling out of a building and when you made it through that freakin’ event, you went into a coma!  Now that’s—” He paused and counted the events.  “That’s seven lives right there, not including Meteorfall when I didn’t know if I’d ever see you again.  You’ve gotta be more careful, yo.  Even top cats like you only get so many lives.”

 

“You think of me as a cat, then?” Rufus said with a wry curve to his lips.

 

“Why not?” responded the redhead. “You’re always comparing me to a fox and damned if you don’t have more lives than a cat.”

 

Rufus had a puzzled expression on his handsome face.  “I’m really not sure where this is going, Reno.”

 

Reno huffed in annoyance.  “I’m trying to say…look, you’re gonna make me go grey before my time if you don’t stop dying on me.”

 

The President raised a pale eyebrow.  “Reno, I’m quite alive.”

 

The redhead gave him a smile that was laced with pain and Rufus saw the emotions in his sea-green eyes that he’d tried so hard to hide from him. 

 

~I understand, Fox.  You need contact.  So do I, but I don’t know that I can…well, I suppose there’s only one way for me to find out, isn’t there?~

Rufus put an arm around Reno’s waist and guided him off the path to a nearby maple tree.  He turned the other man around so that his back was against the trunk of it and he pressed up against him.  For once, Reno wasn’t pushy or demanding.  He stared into Rufus’s eyes and put his hands on his waist as he waited to see what he would do. 

 

The President reached out and slowly pulled the elastic band out of Reno’s bright hair, then combed his fingers through the length, letting it spill over his shoulders and down his back.  He admired his Fox for a moment and he felt his groin stir hesitantly in his pants.  Beautiful and dangerous…that was how he saw the Turk.  He cupped the back of Reno’s head and drew his mouth to his as he slipped his other hand under his jacket and shirt to touch the lithe muscles of his stomach and chest.

 

That sweet, soft moan that had driven him mad with desire the first time he heard it burst from Reno’s mouth.  The clever pink tongue traced his lips and stroked them invitingly and it was then that Rufus Shinra’s libido—which he had worried might be permanently diminished—returned full-force.  He pressed his crotch against Reno’s thigh, demonstrating this fact to his subordinate as he toyed with one of his nipples and thrust his tongue into his mouth. 

 

“Back to the cabin?” Reno gasped eagerly when Rufus’s lips traveled to his jaw and then his neck.

 

“Immediately,” Rufus agreed.

 

~***********************************~

 

            _Hell, the boss’s sex drive came back with a vengeance after that.  He showed it off too.  Tseng and I had sore asses for days and Rufus actually fucking bottomed for Rude.  I couldn’t believe it, man.  If he wasn’t so reserved I think he might have run around the cabin naked, shouting: “Hey look, my dick’s working again!”_

 

            _He calmed down a little after a few days but I think that little sabbatical from sex actually bumped up his sex drive some once he got it back again.  I ain’t complaining, yo.  You know me; I loved the hell out of it._

_Anyhow, another storm blew in after we recovered from that shit, but this time we didn’t get directly involved with any of it.  Rufus said it was best left up to the hero sorts like Cloud and his friends because every time we got involved in some kind of crisis we ended up making it worse.  Yup, takes talent._

_This time the problem was a secret army that old man Shinra raised UNDER Midgar without Rufus ever even knowing about it.  They were called Deepground and they came up and started attacking settlements out of the blue, carting off anyone that didn’t have traces of Geostigma to their headquarters and sacrificing them to raise this thing called Omega._

_It turns out if Omega got enough souls to ascend, the world would end or some shit like that.  Guess who started this little fracas?  Hojo.  That’s right…fucking Hojo.  The freak somehow possessed the strongest member of Deepground and started taking over, and you know Hojo’s thing for Doomsday._

_Rufus kept Reeve in charge of the WRO and he funded the expenses for fighting off Deepground.  Cloud and his friends were in the thick of it again but this time it was Vincent Valentine that put the butt-hurt on the apocalypse, yo.  Everyone thought he sacrificed himself at the end to stop Omega but he contacted Reeve later and let him know he was still alive.  That guy’s just weird, man._

_Midgar…shit, I don’t think Midgar’s ever gonna get cleaned up.  The last crisis with Omega trashed all the repairs the WRO did in the city but would ya believe people still went back to keep living there?  Not even the Turks are gluttons for punishment like that, yo.  We stayed in Healin until Junon was fixed up enough to move there and our new Headquarters were built.  We were slowly rebuilding the company and the Turks were almost back to full strength.  ShinRa started providing power to the world with electricity instead of Mako and Rufus kept working with Reeve on restoring everything that got trashed…including the environment._

_My Ma’s cancer came back and spread through her bones, yo.  I don’t wanna talk too much about that because it still hurts.  Rufus made sure she got the best doctors but all his money and power couldn’t make her better.  All we could do was try to keep her comfortable._

_I finally got my chance to get down Strife’s pants and that’s a night I’m never gonna forget, yo.  I’ve still got the handcuffs framed on my wall.  Rufus found out about it and you might remember his rule about me fucking around with anyone outside the Turks without his permission, yo.  He didn’t punish me when he found out because my Ma died and believe it or not, the man has a heart.  After I had enough time to mourn, it was business as usual and Rufus made sure I got back into my normal routine so I wouldn’t lapse into depression._

_We had a few misadventures with Cloud Strife.  Rufus got kind of obsessed with the idea of having him after I told him about my night with him and I didn’t find out the real reason he wanted to seduce Cloud into the Turks until I was about ready to punch the man, yo.  For the first time I knew the cultured bastard loved me, because he finally came clean with me and admitted he was jealous of Strife.  He was trying to recruit him because he didn’t want to lose me.  Ha…like I’d ever leave the Turks!_

_That about brings us up to date, yo.  Hope you had as much fun with my memories as I did.  They ain’t all happy or great but they’re part of me and some of ‘em keep me going when I think I might break.  Maybe I’ll see you around, yo._

_~*********************************~_

The End.


End file.
